When Virat Kohli surprisingly announced his Test retirement, many wondered if Indian cricket was witnessing the beginning of the end of an era. Yet even though the former Indian skipper stepped out from two formats, Kohli is firing up for the long road to the 2027 ODI World Cup, which will be held in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia.
As Kohli is a one-format player, who plays only ODI cricket, the format is played less frequently throughout the year. He will be 39 years old in the 2027 WC and has won every ICC trophy in his career. So, what’s driving one of India’s greatest batters to continue pushing himself toward yet another World Cup?
Unfinished Business of winning second ODI World Cup
Despite an extraordinary career, one World Cup still feels unresolved for King Kohli—the 2023 ODI World Cup in India.
India’s heartbreaking loss against Australia in the 2023 WC final after a dominant tournament run left a deep emotional imprint on the team and on Kohli in particular. The 37-year-old was the top performer in the competition and looked poised for a second WC title on home soil. Instead, the campaign ended in heartbreaking loss at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
For a player wired like Kohli, that kind of ending doesn’t fade easily. The 2027 World Cup represents a chance to rewrite that narrative—not just to play, but to finish his legacy on a high note.
Will Virat Kohli make it till the WC 2027?
Yes, of course. Virat Kohli is the fittest cricketer in the world. His dedication towards fitness is unquestionable.
Many had raised questions about his form and predicted that Kohli’s career was over when he scored two ducks in a row during the Australia tour. But since the next match against Australia at Sydney, he has been unstoppable, as he has been scoring runs not only with consistency, but he is batting with a good strike rate, like he never did in his career before.
At the Sydney ODI, he played a knock of 74 runs. He was the player of the series against South Africa at home, where he scored two consecutive hundreds and played a 65-run not-out inning in the final match.
Now a one-format player, Kohli also stepped into domestic cricket to play in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy. He continued the form playing for Delhi and scored another hundred against Andhra. The domestic outing will aid Kohli prepare for three-match ODI series against New Zealand starting from January 11.
