Star Indian batter and former skipper Virat Kohli, who is currently plying his trade for the defending champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, has once again put forth the hard question of continuing to play for India with regard to the 2027 ODI World Cup, which is still over 15 months away.
Virat Kohli on continuing to play for India in 2027
After the IPL 2025 victory, Kohli didn’t play any cricket for nearly 5 months. He made his return to international cricket with an ODI series in Australia following his retirement from Test cricket. He bagged two ducks to begin with, but the chase master returned to his old self in the last game of the tour.
“Did you feel you slipped back in those times again because you know that 2027 is the one question that everyone wants to ask you?” Mayanti Langer asked Kohli on the RCB Podcast.
The 37-year-old did not hesitate and made his intentions clear, sending out a clear message of his likelihood to continue playing for India. “As I said today, my perspective is very clear. If I can add value to the environment, I am part of, and the environment feels that I can add value, I’ll be seen. If I’m made to feel like I need to prove my worth and value, I’m not in that space anymore. Because I’m being honest to my preparation and my approach towards the game, I put my head down, I work hard, and I’m very thankful to God for giving me everything that I have been given in my life and my cricketing career, and I feel very blessed and grateful for the opportunity,” he replied.
Further elaborating on his plan when he takes the field, Kohli added that he simply works harder to get his game right as he prepares accordingly. “I prepare for the fact I’ll field 50 overs for every ball like it’s the last and I’ll bat that way, run between the wickets, and will do everything possible for the team,” he continued.
Playing for the love of the game
Thus, keeping his intentions clear around his future, Kohli finally concluded, stating, “After operating like this, if I have to be in a place where I have to prove my worth and value, that place is not meant for me. And I’m very clear in my head from that perspective. That’s why when I went back to play, I was very clear that I’m not going out there to prove anything to anyone; I’m going to play because I love playing the game, and that’s how I played the Vijay Hazare.”
However, the tournament – which will be played in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia in October-November 2027 – is still over a year away; the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), along with the key members, will look to decide on the future of the two veterans – Kohli and Rohit Sharma – both of whom only feature in ODIs now.
“This 27 (2027 World Cup) chat and all that – honestly, for me, it’s like we’re at, like, mid-2026. But I’ve been asked so many times, ‘Do you want to play 2027?’ Of course, I want to play cricket. I want to carry on. Playing a World Cup for India is amazing”, Kohli concluded.
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