Kohli to retire from international cricket after 2027 ODI World Cup

Sports Desk

Virat Kohli, who has scored the most centuries in ODI cricket with 54, had already retired from T20 and Test formats. He now plays for India only in the 50-over format.

The 37-year-old batsman, who has 14,941 runs, is just behind Sachin Tendulkar (18,426 runs) in ODI history. He tasted victory in the ODI World Cup on home soil in 2011 but lost the trophy to Australia in the 2023 final.

The ODI World Cup is going to be held jointly by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia in October-November 2027. This will be the fifth World Cup of Kohli’s career.

In a chat with broadcaster ‘Geostar’ on Saturday, Kohli said, ‘This is going to be my last World Cup for India.’

Kohli added, “My main motivation now is to give my best. And the goal is only one – to win the World Cup. Whatever needs to be done for that, I am ready to do everything.”

He sees the World Cup being held away from home as one of the toughest challenges in cricket. According to Kohli, the pressure and hard work of the 50-over World Cup is much more than anything else.

He said, “The intensity of a 50-over World Cup is unmatched by anything else. Every match here feels like a T20 match. If you calculate it, you’re putting in the equivalent of two and a half T20s in a single day, both physically and mentally! Maintaining that same intensity for 10 consecutive matches in such a big tournament is really tough. Moreover, the game will be played on foreign soil, which will test your strength even more.”

On the other hand, former captain Rohit Sharma, who is now playing international matches only in the ODI format, has made his ambitions and goals clear with another World Cup in mind.

Rohit said, “The thought that my work is done never enters my mind. Continuing to play means keeping an eye on something new. I am also keeping my eye on winning the World Cup now.”

Both Kohli and Rohit have been included in the Indian squad for the three-match ODI series against the West Indies, which will begin in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday.