Virat Kohli says 2027 World Cup will be his final tournament for India

Virat Kohli has confirmed that the 2027 ICC Cricket World Cup, to be staged in South Africa and Zimbabwe, will be the last One‑Day International World Cup he will play for India. He made the statement during an interview with broadcaster JioStar on Saturday, saying the tournament will serve as his final motivation before stepping away from the format at the international level.

Kohli entered the discussion with a record of 14,941 runs in ODIs, placing him second on the all‑time run‑scoring list behind Sachin Tendulkar, who amassed 18,426 runs. He has participated in four previous World Cups, winning the title on home soil in 2011 and experiencing a defeat in the 2023 final against Australia.

Speaking about his preparation, Kohli described the upcoming tournament as his primary focus, emphasizing his readiness to do “whatever it takes” to win. He highlighted the heightened intensity of a World Cup, noting that the schedule resembles playing “2.5 T20 games in one day” and that maintaining such intensity over ten matches in foreign conditions will be demanding.

The 2027 event will mark Kohli’s fifth appearance in an ODI World Cup. He remarked that the intensity of a 50‑over World Cup exceeds that of any other competition, underscoring the physical and mental challenges of sustaining high performance throughout the tournament.

Team captain Rohit Sharma, who also intends to play only this format, expressed similar motivation, stating that he does not consider his career to be nearing an end as long as he continues to play. Kohli echoed this sentiment, affirming his commitment to give his best effort in what he described as his final World Cup for India.