'When Rohit Sharma came...': Irfan Pathan reveals shocking details of BGT interview; 'he didn't deserve spot in 11'

Irfan Pathan reveals shocking details of BGT interview

Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has disclosed shocking details of his interview with Rohit Sharma after the former Test skipper chose to "opt out" of the series finale of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Sydney. Pathan said they were obliged to support Rohit despite his low scores in the recent Test outings then.

In a teaser video shared by Lallantop on Wednesday, Pathan praised Rohit's skill in the white-ball format but drew attention to his dismal Test run. The 37-year-old only managed 164 runs in eight Tests against Australia, New Zealand, and Bangladesh last year, which featured just one half-century. Rohit had an average of 6.20 in the three matches he played in Australia, which is the lowest ever by a visiting skipper on Australia soil (minimum five innings).

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Pathan emphasised that Rohit would have probably been benched after such performances if he hadn't been captain. “Rohit Sharma is an amazing player in white-ball cricket, but his average in Test cricket that year was 6, so we said that if he was not the captain, he would not have had a place in the team, and this is true,” noted the ex-India all-rounder in the teaser.

Rohit was left out of the Sydney clash due to growing criticism and concerns about his future in Test cricket. In an interview, Rohit emphasized that he had willingly "opted out", despite many speculating that he had been dropped.

'रोहित शर्मा कप्तान नहीं होते तो...' रोहित शर्मा से जुड़े विवाद पर इरफान पठान ने क्या बताया? #GITN में देखिए पूरी बातचीत.@saurabhtop@IrfanPathan pic.twitter.com/dleQZB6EtQ

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— The Lallantop (@TheLallantop) August 13, 2025

In the interview, Pathan disclosed that he was obliged to support Rohit even though there were noise of his spot in the playing XI being in danger. "People say that we supported Rohit Sharma more than necessary. Of course, when someone comes to interview on your broadcasting channel, you will not misbehave with them, right? You have invited him, so you will behave politely.

"When Rohit came to interview, we were, of course, polite, and we had to show that, because he was our guest. So that was connected and people said we were supporting him, but it was also us who said that he should keep fighting. But with that said, he didn't deserve a spot in the playing XI. If he was not the captain of the team, he would have been dropped," Pathan added.