"I personally want to see both these players" - Irfan Pathan says India will need Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in the 2024 T20 World Cup

Irfan Pathan feels India should pick Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma for the T20 World Cup later this year as they will need the duo's experience.

The Men in Blue will face Afghanistan in a three-match T20I series, with the first game to be played in Mohali on Thursday, January 11. There is no clarity yet on whether Kohli and Rohit are part of the selectors' scheme of things for the Afghanistan series and the subsequent T20 World Cup.

During a discussion on Star Sports, Pathan was asked whether he sees Kohli in India's T20 World Cup squad. He opined that both Kohli and Rohit should be part of the mix, reasoning:

"I personally want to see him because if we talk about two years ago, he didn't have the form, but his last IPL was amazing. On West Indian pitches, and you will go to America, there is a little unknown area there, so you might need experience there."

The former India all-rounder added:

"It will be up to what the team management is thinking and what Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are thinking currently, their focus and fitness, but I personally want to see both these players."

Kohli and Rohit are the top two run-getters in T20I cricket. While the former has amassed 4008 runs in 107 innings at a strike rate of 137.96, the latter has aggregated 3853 runs in 140 innings at a slightly higher strike rate of 139.24.

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"Rohit Sharma has changed his approach and is scoring runs in a terrific fashion in ODI cricket" - Irfan Pathan

Rohit Sharma invariably gave flying starts to India in the 2023 ODI World Cup. [P/C: Getty]

Irfan Pathan believes Rohit Sharma can carry his destructive ODI form into T20I cricket. He said:

"Rohit Sharma has changed his approach and is scoring runs in a terrific fashion in ODI cricket. So if he converts that into T20 cricket - why not? Experience always comes in handy in such big tournaments."

The cricketer-turned-commentator added that the Men in Blue will need Virat Kohli both on and off the field at the T20 World Cup.

"You will need Virat Kohli in America. You are going to a new place. So I feel, firstly because of the pitches, and from an off-the-field perspective also, you might need him."

Kohli, with 296 runs at an outstanding average of 98.67, was the top run-getter in the 2022 T20 World Cup. On the flip side, Rohit had a lean run, aggregating 116 runs at an underwhelming average of 19.33, and will hope to give a better account of himself if picked for the upcoming edition of the tournament.