New Delhi: Former India captain and star batter Virat Kohli has finally broken his silence on the possibility of playing the 2027 ODI World Cup. The star batter has said that he does not want to be part of an environment where he is repeatedly asked to prove his worth.
He made these remarks during the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) podcast. Kohli now plays only one format for India after announcing retirement from T20Is following India’s 2024 T20 World Cup victory and then leaving Test cricket ahead of the England tour last year.
The former Indian captain said that he’s very honest about how he will approach the game, and is very thankful to god for giving him everything in his cricketing career. Kohli further added that he’s very blessed and grateful for the opportunity.
“My perspective is very clear. If I can add value to the environment that I am a part of and the environment feels like I can add value, I will be seen. If I am made to feel like I need to prove my worth and my value, I’m not in that space. Because I am being honest to my preparation,” Kohli said in the RCB podcast.
‘Playing a World Cup for India is amazing’
Kohli further talked about his commitment towards Indian cricket and said that it has never changed. The star batter further added that he continues to prepare with the same discipline and intensity for every match that has defined his career over the years.
“I work as hard, if not harder than anyone else. And I play the game in the right way. You want me to run boundary to boundary for 40 overs in an ODI game? I will do that without a complaint. Because I prepare accordingly. I prepare for the fact that I will feel ,50 overs, every ball like it’s the last ball I’m going to play in my career. And I will bat that way. And I will run between the wickets that way. And I will do everything possible for the team,” Kohli added.
With limited ODI matches on the international calendar, speculations around Kohli’s participation in the 2027 World Cup have only intensified. But the star batter has said that he’s very clear in his mind.
“I mean, this 27 (2027 World Cup) chat and all that, honestly, for me, it is like, we are at like mid 26. But I’ve been asked so many times, do you want to play 27?. I know the answer. Like, why would I leave my home, you know, 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. But as I said, the value has to be on two sides,” he added.
Kohli has scored 14797 runs at an average of 58.71 in 311 ODI matches. He has smashed 54 hundreds and 77 half-centuries in the 50-over format. The star batter was India’s leading run-scorer in ODIs last year, smashing 651 runs in 13 innings at an average of 65.10, including three centuries and four fifties.
After the IPL, Kohli is expected to play for India during the ODI series against Afghanistan, which will start on June 14.