2027 World Cup Will Be My Last World Cup: Virat Kohli
Zeeshan Mehtab | Published September 26, 2026 | 02:57 PM
The former India captain, who has scored the most centuries in ODI cricket history, hopes to play in his fifth consecutive World Cup.
Virat Kohli, one of India's greatest batsmen, has confirmed that the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup, to be held in South Africa, Namibia, and Zimbabwe, will be his final World Cup.
Kohli told JioStar, "For me, this is the last World Cup that I will play for India, and that is my commitment. Obviously, my goal is to win the World Cup, and I am fully prepared to do whatever it takes."
The 37-year-old Kohli, nearing 15,000 runs in the format, has played in four ODI World Cups for India and was part of the victorious team in 2011.
The experienced player, who has announced his retirement from Test and T20I cricket, is now focused on the 50-over World Cup.
"The intensity of a 50-over World Cup is greater than anything else. You now have to play 10 matches with the intensity of T20 cricket, but on a single day you are playing the equivalent of two and a half T20 matches." - Kohli
"Maintaining that intensity for up to 10 matches in a major tournament and World Cup is a huge task. Besides, it is now being played in overseas conditions, which drain a great deal of a player's energy." - Kohli
Kohli has been one of the most successful batsmen in World Cup history. He has played 37 ODI World Cup matches, scoring 1,795 runs at an average of 59.83, including five centuries and 12 half-centuries. His highest score is 117.
In his overall ODI career, he has scored 14,941 runs in 302 innings at an average of 58.59, including 54 centuries and 79 half-centuries. His highest score is 183, while his strike rate is 93.95.