Veteran Indian batter Virat Kohli shared what is driving him towards the 2027 ODI World Cup. For him, the tournament in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia will be his last World Cup for India as well. And with the road to the mega event beginning with Sunday’s first ODI against the West Indies in Thiruvananthapuram, Kohli said that his motivation is simple: win the World Cup, whatever it takes.
“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. And of course, the goal is absolutely to win the World Cup. And whatever it takes, I’m absolutely ready,” Kohli told JioStar ahead of the three-match series.
The 2027 World Cup, to be jointly hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia in October and November, will be Virat Kohli’s fourth ODI World Cup. His comments came at the start of an ODI cycle in which every game assumes greater significance. India have named Kohli and Rohit Sharma in their squad for the West Indies series, with Shubman Gill continuing as captain as well.
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“What’s changed is, firstly, I promised myself that I’m going to play more freely. I’m not going to worry about the expectations that people might have around me. My role had always been, for a long period of time, that I’m going to stabilise things,” Kohli said.
“I am making a conscious effort to make a difference in the game, where you can get 30-40 extra runs. I want to stay in a space where, if I’m choosing not to take a risk, it’s because I’m setting up eventually to get to a point where I say, okay, now press the accelerator down,” he further shared.
Virat Kohli also believes that approach can be particularly valuable in an ODI game increasingly shaped by high scoring.
“The game is changing in a way that, especially if the conditions are fast-paced and good, and other teams are looking to push you towards 340-350, we should be able to get 350-360 as well. I’m very willing to take risks now because I know that if I make runs there, we’ll get 350-360 easily. And if I do that and play longer, then I can hit more at the end,” he again shared.
“I had to unlock a little bit of that freedom in my own mind. That’s also helped me in the IPL as well. I was able to play with that same freedom because I’m not thinking that if I get out, the situation might get difficult for us,” he stated. “I have faith in the fact that there are other players around me who are very good and who will be able to handle the situation. I need to express myself fully and find a way to be consistent doing that. That’s exciting as well at this stage of my career.”
