Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli called time on their T20I career following the T20 World Cup triumph in 2024, while they stepped away from the Test format in May this year.

There has been no ODI cricket for India since the end of Champions Trophy 2025 in March, and the next series is scheduled in Australia later this month.

Ahead of their much-awaited return to international cricket, former all-rounder Irfan Pathan has advised Rohit and Kohli to return to domestic cricket to get the game time they would need to make a case for the 2027 World Cup in South Africa.

On Saturday (October 4), the BCCI selectors announced India’s ODI squad for the upcoming three-match ODI series in Australia. The Ajit Agarkar-led panel removed the 38-year-old Rohit from ODI captaincy and handed over the reins to young opener Shubman Gill, with the 2027 World Cup firmly in sight.

Rohit and Kohli, two of India’s modern-day greats, continue to feature in the 15-member squad for the tour Down Under, ensuring that experience remains integral to India’s transition.

“Rohit (Sharma) and Virat (Kohli) want to play the 2027 World Cup, but game fitness will be a big challenge for them," Pathan said in a video posted on his YouTube channel.

“Rohit has worked well on his fitness. He is focused on that. But there is regular fitness, and game time fitness… If you are not playing regular cricket, both of them have to ensure some game time. They have to play domestic cricket," he added.

“They are big players and know what to do. They have all the experience in the world. But they are not even playing T20Is, so there will be big gaps between the few matches that they play before the big World Cup. They will need regular game time to be fit for that. Only then will their dream to play the 2027 World Cup come true," he continued.

Irfan Pathan further stated that the upcoming phase would be challenging for Gill as he’s replacing one of India’s most successful white-ball leaders.

“There is a leadership change; Gill will lead in both formats now. This is a big opportunity but a huge responsibility too. He has to take forward Virat’s legacy in Test cricket and Rohit’s legacy in white-ball cricket. This is a challenging but exciting phase for him as he is already batting well, he will need to keep that form going," Pathan remarked.