Irfan Pathan Confident about Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli Comeback for Champions Trophy

Former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan has been confident about the abilities of the stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli ahead of the Champions Trophy. Despite their recent struggles in Test cricket, Pathan believes that both players will regain their form in the limited-overs format, especially in the One Day International (ODI) arena, which he asserts is their favorite format.

Rohit and Virat have seen some tough times recently in red-ball cricket. In fact, India's loss to Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy was a severe blow, for the Indian team lost the much-coveted series to Australia after ten years. Both Rohit and Virat are consistent match winners who did not come up to the mark during the series. Rohit, who has an average of just 6.20 in three Test matches, has raised more concerns about his future in Test cricket. Meanwhile, Virat Kohli also disappointed, except for a magnificent century in Perth, averaging just 23.75 in the series.

Prior to this one, India has also suffered humiliating 3-0 loss over New Zealand within its own stadium. This stands out as being one of the worst series where the Indian test team had slipped to its rock bottom. He could manage 91 runs from a total of six innings with just an average score of 15.16 where Virat at that time gathered only 93 runs at just 15.50 average. These poor statistics in Test cricket led to speculations and discussions about the two players' future in the longest format of the game.

However, Pathan asked fans and pundits not to mix up the struggles of the two players in Test cricket with their prospects in white-ball cricket. Speaking confidently about their abilities in ODIs, Pathan said that both Rohit and Virat are exceptional players who will bounce back in the Champions Trophy. "They'll start scoring runs in white-ball cricket; there's no doubt about that. Test cricket is a different ball game altogether. Adjustments are needed, whether it's Virat managing deliveries outside the off-stump or Rohit finding his rhythm. ODI is their favorite format, and they'll bounce back strongly," Pathan explained.

Pathan’s faith in the duo is well-founded, as both Rohit and Virat have consistently excelled in limited-overs formats. Their impact in ODIs is unparalleled, with numerous match-winning performances in past tournaments. The upcoming Champions Trophy is expected to be a significant opportunity for both players to showcase their form and contribute to India’s success on the global stage.

Recent poor performances have ignited speculation about their places in the team and even their future in international cricket. Rohit was the most under discussion regarding potential retirement, after all, when he did not play against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar series at Sydney Test. Despite rumors of retirement, Rohit has ignored them and stuck to his current form. Kohli, too, has been questioned, with his inconsistency in the last few Test matches putting a question mark on his place in the team.

The chairman of selectors, Ajit Agarkar, recently addressed these concerns, saying that the team management will assess the performances of the players after the Champions Trophy. Agarkar said, "It's a month away from the Champions Trophy. These guys have been exceptional performers in one-day cricket. We'll see once the Champions Trophy is done, we've got a bit more time to sit and assess where everyone is. Not just one of the players but where we go forward. But at the moment, the focus is on one-day cricket and Champions Trophy."

The Champions Trophy is knocking at the door, and one can only expect the Indian team to be in hope for some revival of form from the main men of the show: Rohit and Virat. As such, the hope for this campaign rests with Irfan Pathan, an experienced player who can guide them into a 50-over format with renewed rhythm.

The Champions Trophy would be an event of excitement for Indian cricket as many are looking for Rohit and Virat to come out and give performances worthy of their talent and experience. Timely encouragement from Pathan was that setbacks in one format should not overshadow their potential in another, and it is in the cards that these champions make their mark once again soon.