“He’s very keen to continue playing”- Irfan Pathan on Rohit Sharma’s future in international cricket

Rohit Sharma, who retired from Tests in May this year, will continue to play in ODIs.

Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has stated that he had a conversation with India ODI captain Rohit Sharma, revealing that he has no plans to retire anytime soon. There are rumors that Rohit and Virat Kohli might bid goodbye to international cricket after the ODI series in Australia this October.

By the time the 2027 ODI World Cup rolls around, Rohit and Kohli will be 40 and 39 years old, respectively, and have both retired from T20Is and Test matches. According to the article, the BCCI is therefore preparing to move on and consider young players to take the place of the classics.

It was also reported that Shreyas Iyer would soon be selected to captain the ODI team instead of Rohit, which suggests that the veteran may soon lose his spot.

Irfan Pathan, however, has clarified that Rohit Sharma wants to continue playing for India and hinted that the batter is aiming to win the World Cup for India in 2027.

“I had a long chat with him about his future plans. He’s very keen to continue playing. Every player wants that, especially someone like him who has done so well. He’s been a fantastic leader and one of our greatest in white-ball cricket. We all remember the heartbreak of the 2023 World Cup final, especially for him. Those emotions matter, but he still wants to carry on and make his mark going forward,” Pathan said during a press meet organized by Sony Sports Network.

Nevertheless, Pathan cautioned that older players who have retired from other formats must continue to be match-fit.

“As long as the players are fit, age doesn’t really matter. The real challenge will be getting enough game time before the 2027 World Cup. There are going to be long gaps in ODI cricket until then—2025 is ongoing, 2026 will come, and then 2027. Playing for India has never been about motivation for players like Rohit, Virat, or Shami—that will always be there. The issue is purely about how much cricket they get to play, especially since they’ve retired from Tests and T20Is. If they manage to stay fit and overcome the challenge of limited game time, I don’t see any reason why they can’t continue until the 2027 World Cup.” Pathan added.

Rohit has amassed 11,168 ODI runs at an average of 48.76, with 32 centuries to his name. He is the only batter to hit three double-tons in ODI format, including the highest individual score of 264.