'It's the last World Cup I'm going to play for India' - Virat Kohli vows to give everything for 2027 title

Virat Kohli has confirmed that the 2027 ODI World Cup will be his final World Cup appearance for India. The tournament will be jointly hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, running from October 4 through November 21, 2027. Kohli's announcement comes as India prepares for a busy ODI schedule ahead of the global event.

Kohli spoke about his commitment to the upcoming World Cup in an interview with JioStar. The star batter has already retired from T20 International cricket following India's T20 World Cup triumph in 2024 and from Test cricket in May 2025. His focus now remains entirely on the ODI format and the 2027 World Cup campaign.

"Also now, it's in foreign conditions. It takes a lot out of you. For me, it's the last World Cup I'm going to play for India . And that is my motivation. Like, you know, to leave everything out there," Kohli said to JioStar.

Kohli's World Cup record and career statistics

Kohli has an impressive record in World Cup cricket. Across 37 ODI World Cup matches, he has accumulated 1,795 runs at an average of 59.83, with five centuries and 12 fifties. His highest World Cup score stands at 117. In his overall ODI career, Kohli has scored 14,941 runs in 302 innings at an average of 58.59, with 54 centuries and 79 fifties to his name.

Kohli featured in two ODI World Cup finals during his career. India won the title in 2011, but the team was defeated by Australia in the 2023 final. Both finals were held in India. The 2027 World Cup in southern Africa will present a different challenge in foreign conditions.

The intensity of 50-over World Cup cricket

Kohli acknowledged that the intensity and demands of a 50-over World Cup make it a unique challenge and said the upcoming tournament serves as a major source of motivation for him.

"The intensity of a 50-over World Cup is greater than anything. Because now, it's about 10 games at a T20 level of intensity. But you are playing 2.5 T20 games in one day. And to maintain that intensity for 10 games in a big tournament and World Cup is a big deal," Kohli said.

"Of course, the goal is absolutely to win the World Cup. And whatever it takes, I'm absolutely ready," he added.

India's preparation for the 2027 World Cup has already begun. The West Indies tour of India started with the first ODI on Sunday at 2 PM IST. India will play five ODIs in New Zealand and three against Sri Lanka in the latter part of 2026, with three additional ODIs against Zimbabwe scheduled for early 2027. Kohli was included in India's ODI squad for the West Indies series, which was captained by Shubman Gill.