Kohli sets 2027 WC exit

Virat Kohli has confirmed that the 2027 ICC One Day International World Cup will be his last World Cup for India, with one final shot at the trophy providing the batting great with his biggest motivation.

Former captain Rohit Sharma, however who also plays only ODIs for India, said he remained fully motivated by the prospect of another ⁠World Cup campaign.

"The thought will never cross my mind that the business I had is finished," Rohit said.

"As long as you're playing, there is always something to look forward to. ⁠And I'm looking forward to the World Cup."

After retiring from T20Is and Tests, Kohli is preparing for what will be his fifth World Cup campaign. He has made it clear that he intends to leave everything on the field when the tournament is staged in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.

“For me, it’s the last World Cup I’m going to play for India. And that is my motivation, to leave everything out there. Of course, the goal is absolutely to win the World Cup and whatever it takes, I’m absolutely ready,” Kohli told JioStar on Saturday.

The 37-year-old knows exactly what awaits. He described the intensity of a 50-over World Cup as greater than anything else, with the demands of maintaining that level across a long tournament particularly challenging in foreign conditions.

Kohli has already tasted both extremes of World Cup cricket. He was part of India’s triumphant 2011 campaign on home soil before starring in the 2023 tournament, only for Australia to beat India in the final.

His World Cup record stands at 1,795 runs in 37 matches at 59.83, including five centuries and 12 fifties. His overall ODI tally has reached 14,941 runs in 302 innings, with 54 centuries and 79 fifties.

Yet numbers now take a back seat to one final pursuit.

The 2027 tournament, scheduled from 4 October to 21 November, offers Kohli one last opportunity to lift the World Cup as an India player. India’s preparations begin with their three-match ODI series against the West Indies.

For Kohli, the road to 2027 is no longer simply another campaign. It is the final chapter of his World Cup story, with the trophy firmly in sight.

Kohli and Rohit were both named in India's squad for the three-match ODI series against West Indies. The opening match will be played in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday.