When asked to reflect on his plans for the 2027 ODI World Cup, Virat Kohli made it clear that if has to prove his worth yet again, after already doing so much for Indian cricket, then he would rather not play the quadrennial event
Published: May 15, 2026 4:31 PM IST
Former India and Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain Virat Kohli has made his intentions clear around his participation at the ICC Cricket World Cup in South Africa and Zimbabwe next year. The star batter, currently on duty with RCB in the 2026 Indian Premier League season, has confirmed that he is in the correct head space and is well on course to represent the nation in what is going to be his last appearance at the quadrennial 50-over showpiece event.
Virat Kohli had missed out on winning the 2023 ODI World Cup on home soil after Australia broke all the Indian hearts with a 6-wicket victory in the finale at the Narendra Modi Stadium. While that moment was a tough one for the entire nation to swallow, it heavily affected Kohli and captain Rohit Sharma.
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7 months later, the duo went on to lift the ICC T20 World Cup in Barbados, beating South Africa in the final before announcing their retirement from the format on the same day. In the later half of 2024, both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli had forgettable outings in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia where the Indians lost the 5-match Test series by 4-1.
It prompted the duo’s retirement from the longest format as well, leaving them to feature only in the one-day format. That further boosted their chances of featuring in the 2027 World Cup but Virat Kohli, who recently sat for a chat with Mayanti Langer in a podcast, has added a new layer to it.
‘If I can add value to the environment’, Kohli outlines his World Cup plans
When asked to reflect on his plans for the 2027 ODI World Cup, Virat Kohli made it clear that if has to prove his worth yet again, after already doing so much for Indian cricket, then he would rather not play the quadrennial event.
The 37-year-old highlighted that he is training at the nets with the same intensity as anybody else in the Indian team and that playing a World Cup for India is always an amazing feeling.
As I said, if Kohli feels the team management or BCCI wants him to prove his worth, he’ll retire the next day and that’s exactly what he said.
He added “Ofc I want to play 2027 WC ” ♥️ pic.twitter.com/eOv07nN6fc
— Gaurav (@Melbourne__82) May 15, 2026
“We’re in mid-2026. I’ve been asked so many times, ‘Do you want to play ‘27?’ Why would I leave my home, get my stuff over, and be like, ‘I don’t know what I want.’ Of course, if I’m playing, I want to play cricket, I want to carry on. Playing a World Cup for India is amazing.” – Virat Kohli said on the RCB podcast.
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Furthermore, Kohli stated that wherever he goes to play, he wants to add value to the environment otherwise his hard work will go unseen. Known for his straightforwardness and dedication to be the best, Virat reiterated that he is always honest about his preparation and approach to the game.
“The value has to be clear. My perspective is that if I can add value to the environment, I am part of, and the environment feels I can add value, I will be seen. But if I am made to feel like I need to constantly prove my worth and value, then I am not in that space, because I am honest about my preparation and my approach to the game.” – Kohli concluded.
When will Virat Kohli play again for India?
India has plenty of white-ball assignments coming up right after the conclusion of IPL 2026. This year, alone, the Men in Blue will play a total of 12 one-day matches across three different ODI series’ home and away.
Virat Kohli’s first opponent upon return to international cricket will be Afghanistan, who will be here in India next month for an one-off Test and 3-match ODI series. If the selection committee does not intend to rest Kohli, then the batting stalwart will be on display on June 14 when the 1st one-day takes place at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala.
The 37-year-old veteran is on a very good form in this IPL season, scoring 484 runs in 12 matches, including a century and two half-centuries at a strike rate of 165.
