During the IPL 2025, amidst Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s retirement from Test cricket and Shubman Gill’s subsequent captaincy, Irfan Pathan shared critical remarks about Rohit Sharma. In an interview, Pathan asserted that Rohit Sharma would have been dropped from the playing XI had he not been the captain, especially considering his performance during the Australia tour.
Pathan highlighted Rohit Sharma’s struggles during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. He stated that if Rohit hadn’t been the captain, he would have been excluded from the playing XI. Pathan acknowledged Sharma’s exceptional skills in white-ball cricket but emphasized that his Test average was merely 6 during the series. Thus, without his captaincy, his exclusion would have been highly probable.
The former cricketer also responded to questions about his support for Rohit, despite the latter’s poor performances. Pathan explained that as a commentator, he makes it a point to be respectful towards interviewees. He pointed out that during the interview, they maintained decorum as Rohit was their guest.
India faced a tough time during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 in Australia. Rohit Sharma’s performance in the five-match series was disappointing. He managed to score only 31 runs from 5 innings, with an average of 6.20. He also skipped the Sydney Test. Irfan Pathan is now working as a cricket commentator after retiring from playing.
Pathan did not get a commentary gig at IPL 2025. Reports indicate that his critiques of certain players, including Rohit Sharma, led to his exclusion from the commentary panel.