Irfan Pathan attacked Virat Kohli with 'staying in separate hotel' remarks? All-rounder himself reveals

Former India allrounder Irfan Pathan has opened up on the new guidelines set by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for the country's centrally contracted players. The guidelines come after India's shocking defeat to Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

While there are many guidelines for the players, one of them is to stay in the same hotel to enhance unity in the team. Pathan claimed that even the greatest of the players followed this rule and argued how a player was allowed to stay at a different place. When a user asked Pathan to name Virat Kohli straight away, he clearly denied it.

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Irfan Pathan breaks silence on BCCI's new rules for Team India

Irfan Pathan took to social media to discuss about the new rules and regulations brought by the BCCI. He argued how the players were allowed to stay at a different hotel when the greatest players hadn't disobeyed the rules.

"Even the greatest players in the past stayed in the same hotels as the rest of the Indian team. How was staying in a separate hotel allowed in the first place?" Irfan Pathan asked on X (formerly Twitter).

Even the greatest players in the past stayed in the same hotels as the rest of the Indian team. How was staying in a separate hotel allowed in the first place?

— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) January 17, 2025

It is to be noted that some of the players have been staying at separate hotels with their respective families during a particular tour. However, the BCCI wants all the players to stay at the same place from now onwards.

Irfan Pathan denies taking Virat Kohli's name

A user on X replied to Irfan Pathan's post and asked him to reveal the name of Virat Kohli without hesitating. However, Pathan clearly responded back by saying that he was not talking about Kohli.

"Nah not talking about Virat (Kohli)," Pathan replied.

Nah not talking about Virat.

— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) January 17, 2025

While it is not confirmed, some of the senior players of the team have been found guilty of staying separately with their families citing their mental well-being. But India's poor performance in Australia have prompted the BCCI to take stricter action on them.

BCCI issues fresh guidelines

The BCCI has issued a set of guidelines that have arrived in the wake-up of a disastrous tour of Australia. The board has made participation in the domestic tournaments compulsory for selection.

The guideline also includes rules for family travel, baggage allowance, and restrictions on personal staff. If a player does not follow these guidelines, strict action will be taken against him which also includes suspension from the cash-rich Indian Premier League.

If a player has an emergency, he will need to grant permission from the head coach Gautam Gambhir, and the chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar. Young players like Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant have already confirmed their availability for the next Ranji match but the status of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma is not yet clear.