Virat Kohli has confirmed that the 2027 ODI World Cup will be his final World Cup for India.
The former India captain said the World Cup will be his motivation and that he is ready to give everything to try and win the trophy.
Kohli has already played in four ODI World Cups and was part of India’s 2011 World Cup winning team.
He also played in the 2023 final against Australia. The 2027 WC in South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe will be his fifth World Cup appearance.
But this announcement means much more for Indian cricket fans. After retiring from T20Is and Test cricket, Kohli now plays only ODI cricket for India.
That has made every ODI appearance more important for the millions of fans who have followed him across formats for more than a decade.
For many of those fans, Kohli is not simply another cricketer. His name, celebrations, aggressive batting and countless memorable innings have become part of their connection with Indian cricket.
Knowing that the 2027 World Cup will be his final one is therefore bound to bring a different emotion whenever he walks out to bat for India.
Kohli currently has 14,941 ODI runs and 54 centuries, with only Sachin Tendulkar ahead of him on the all-time ODI run list. He has also scored 1,795 runs in ODI World Cups, including five centuries.
Kohli also spoke about the intensity of a 50 over World Cup, saying that maintaining that level for around 10 matches in a major tournament, especially in foreign conditions, takes a lot out of a player.
Interestingly, Rohit Sharma is also targeting the 2027 World Cup. Rohit, who also now plays only ODI cricket for India, said he is still looking forward to the tournament and does not feel that his cricketing journey is over.
That means Indian fans could get to watch Kohli and Rohit together in the 2027 World Cup. With Kohli now confirming that it will be his final World Cup, the road to the tournament has gained another emotional layer.
