Having retired from Tests and T20Is, Virat Kohli remains active only in ODIs. After the heartbreak of the 2023 edition, Kohli playing in the 2027 edition was not a given. However, he has shown hunger whenever he has stepped onto the field for India and also delivered impressive performances in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Kohli, in fact, played in the Vijay Hazare Trophy recently for Delhi, where he scored 131 and 77 in the two games, further showing that he is serious about the World Cup next year.
Still enjoy batting
The India batter says he still enjoys batting, and that is something which drives him to perform in every game.
“When I come to play, I know what I can deliver in terms of effort. Performance: no one can guarantee performance in any space. But in terms of effort and commitment, I know what I can deliver because I literally live my life like that,” Kohli said on the RCB podcast.
“It’s not like I prepare for a series to suddenly start working hard two or three weeks before. I’m like that through the year. So, if you call me to play and if you say there’s a series coming up: I’m ready.
“I’m always ready because that’s my daily life. I work out, we eat well at home. It’s because I like living that way.
“It’s not only to play cricket. So, that’s where I am. I mean, this 27 (2027 World Cup) chat and all that, honestly, for me, it’s like we’re at like mid-2026.
“But I’ve been asked so many times, do you want to play 2027?
“Like, why would I leave my home, get my stuff over and be like, ‘I don’t know what I want’. Of course, if I’m playing, I want to play cricket. I want to carry on. Playing a World Cup for India is amazing. But as I said, the value has to be two-sided”.
I work harder than anyone
The 37-year-old believes that he still works harder than anyone else in the game and is willing to ‘run boundary to boundary for 40 overs’ without any complaints.
“I put my head down, I work hard. I’m very thankful to God for giving me everything that I’ve been given in my cricketing career. And I feel very blessed and grateful for the opportunity,” the former India captain said.
“And when I arrive to play, I put my head down, I work as hard if not harder than anyone else. And I play the game in the right way. You want me to run boundary to boundary for 40 overs in an ODI game, I will do that without a complaint.
“Because I prepare accordingly. I prepare for the fact that I will field 50 overs every ball like it’s the last ball I’m going to play in my career. And I will bat that way. And I will run between the wickets that way. And I will do everything possible for the team.
“After operating like this, if I have to be in a place where I have to prove my worth and value, that place is not meant to be for me.
“And I am very clear in my head from that perspective. That’s why when I went back to play, I was very clear in my head, I’m not going out there to prove anything to anyone. I’m going to play because I love playing the game.”
When will Kohli play for India next?
Kohli has 14,797 runs in ODIs at an average of 58.71, including 54 centuries. Overall, he has 85 international centuries, 15 short of equalling Sachin Tendulkar.
He will next be seen in action for India during the ODI series against Afghanistan, starting June 14. For now, his focus remains on helping Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) retain their IPL title.
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