'That is my motivation' — Virat Kohli confirms 2027 ODI World Cup will be his last for India, opens up ahead of IND vs WI series

Virat Kohli has confirmed that the 2027 ODI World Cup will be his last World Cup for India. The star batter said he is ready to give his best and do “whatever it takes” to help India win the title.

Kohli and Rohit Sharma are now focused only on ODI cricket for India after retiring from T20Is and Test cricket. The duo will begin their preparations for the 2027 World Cup when India take on the West Indies in the new home season.

Speaking to JioStar ahead of the first ODI, Kohli explained the special intensity of a 50-over World Cup and the motivation behind his goal. With 54 ODI centuries, he remains India's leading century-maker in the format and wants to make the most of his final World Cup campaign.

Virat Kohli confirms 2027 World Cup will be his last for India

Virat Kohli has confirmed that the 2027 ODI World Cup will be his last World Cup for India. The 37-year-old spoke to JioStar ahead of the ODI series against the West Indies, which starts on Sunday, September 27.

The 2027 World Cup will be jointly hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. Kohli has already been part of a World Cup-winning Indian team, playing under MS Dhoni in the 2011 edition.

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Kohli, who will turn 38 in November, said the intensity of a 50-over World Cup is greater than anything else. The 2027 tournament will be his fifth ODI World Cup, with the event scheduled to take place in October and November.

"That is my motivation" — What Kohli said ahead of the IND vs WI series

Virat Kohli confirmed that the 2027 ODI World Cup will be his last World Cup for India. Speaking to JioStar, he said, “For me, it’s the last World Cup I’m going to play for India. That is my motivation.”

The legendary batter also said he wants to give everything to the team in his final World Cup campaign. “The goal is absolutely to win the World Cup, and whatever it takes, I’m absolutely ready,” he said.

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The former India captain also explained why the 50-over World Cup is such a demanding tournament. “The intensity of a 50-over World Cup is greater than anything,” Kohli said, highlighting the challenge of maintaining that intensity across 10 matches in foreign conditions.

What this means for Team India's World Cup 2027 plans

Virat Kohli’s decision to make the 2027 ODI World Cup his last for India gives the team a clear target for the next two years. His experience and record in major tournaments will remain important as India prepare for the event.

The Delhi-born batter's record shows his importance to India in World Cups. He has scored 1,795 runs in 37 ODI World Cup matches at an average of 59.83, with five centuries and 12 fifties. In his overall ODI career, Kohli has scored 14,941 runs with 54 centuries and 79 fifties.

India’s preparations will begin with the ODI series against the West Indies. The first match will be played on Sunday at 2 PM, giving Kohli and the team an early opportunity to start their World Cup preparations.