Former KKR batter reflects on Virat Kohli's chances for upcoming ODI World Cup 2027

Former Indian cricketer Manoj Tiwary, who served for India and four different IPL teams, including winning the IPL 2012 trophy with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) after scoring the title-winning run, recently spoke about the former Indian captain Virat Kohli. He opened up Kohli's chances for the next ODI World Cup. 

While the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 is very near, India will soon also start to prepare for the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2027, which South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia will host in October-November 2027. 

The 36-year-old former all-format Indian captain Virat Kohli is one of the greatest batters in international cricket history. While he retired from the T20I format after winning the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024, he retired from Test cricket this year. Kohli is now active in the ODI format and also serving for his IPL team Royal Challengers Bengaluru, who won their first IPL title in the latest season. 

Kohli is still one of the fittest cricketers at present, which he has proved during the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 and IPL 2025. Kohli was the fifth leading run-scorer in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 with 218 runs in five innings with an average of 54.50, including one century and one half-century. The right-handed batter was also the third leading run-scorer in the IPL 2025 with 657 runs in 15 matches with an average of 54.75. 

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Very difficult to keep out Virat Kohli from the plans for 2027 World Cup: Manoj Tiwary

The BCCI has now introduced the Bronco Test for the national team selection. Manoj Tiwary, who played 12 ODIs and three T20Is, is confident that Kohli will pass the Bronco Test, but the present Indian ODI captain Rohit Sharma may struggle. Tiwary believes that it will be hard to keep Kohli out of the next ODI World Cup.  

Tiwary told CricTracker, “I think it will be very difficult to keep out Virat Kohli from the plans for 2027 World Cup. But I have a doubt that they are going to look at Rohit Sharma into the scheme of things." 

Virat Kohli: 2nd most run-scorer in ODI World Cup history

Kohli is the second leading run-scorer (1795 runs) in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup history, just behind Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar (2278 runs). While India just missed their ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 title by losing their only game of the tournament in the Final against Australia, Kohli finished as the leading run-scorer with 765 runs, as the Player of the Tournament had an average of 95.62, including three centuries and six half-centuries.   

Kohli was a key member of the Indian team that won the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 under the leadership of MS Dhoni. However, the former Indian captain is still hungry and ready for his next mission.