Former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan backed Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli ahead of the Champions Trophy 2025, saying their red-ball form won't affect their white-ball form. Rohit Sharma has been playing in the Ranji Trophy for Mumbai against Jammu and Kashmir, but his form is yet to be improved. Speaking to PTI, Irfan Pathan said that the Ro-Ko duo will return strongly in the ODI series against England and will continue in the Champions Trophy. He said, "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 favourite format, and they'll bounce back strongly." Read also: 10th Grader Becomes Youngest Bengal Debutant in Ranji Trophy Pathan Emphasizes Regular Domestic Cricket Importance Both Kohli and Virat have been struggling with their forms since the New Zealand series at home, which continued poking in Australia. Following that, BCCI asked all Test cricket players to play domestic cricket. However, Virat Kohli has cited neck strain, due to which he had to skip the first Ranji match that started on January 23. However, he will likely be available on January 30. With that, there are speculations that BCCI mandates got them in the Ranji match. Pathan clarified, "It's about playing domestic cricket but don't play a couple of matches just for the sake of it and show that you've played. Playing regularly benefits both players and Indian cricket. For young players, competing against the likes of Kohli or Rohit at the domestic level can be a tremendous confidence boost as they would also raise their levels to bowl to them. Ultimately, Indian cricket gains from this." Rohit and Virat's most recent appearance in a white-ball match was during the series against Sri Lanka, in which India lost 3-0.