Virat Kohli Retires from Test Cricket: Will He Return for the 2027 ODI Showdown?

Finally, all the speculations are over. Just a few days after Rohit Sharma's retirement, another era of Indian cricket has come to an end. Virat Kohli has announced his retirement from Test cricket, despite requests from legendary cricketers and the BCCI. The former India captain shared the news on social media on Monday morning.

Virat Kohli has ended a remarkable 14-year career. The 36-year-old announced his retirement through a post on Instagram. He wrote, "It’s been 14 years since I first wore the baggy blue in Test cricket. Honestly, I never thought this format would take me on such a journey. It tested me, shaped me, and taught me many lessons that I will carry for the rest of my life."

Now, One-day cricket is in his hands. After Virat Kohli announced his retirement from Test cricket, the big question is – will he play in the One-Day World Cup after two years? Will he continue playing ODI cricket?

According to the Indian cricket team's schedule, there is no One-Day match for the next three months. The five-match Test series against England will begin on June 20. After that, the Indian team is set to tour Bangladesh. As per the proposed schedule, both teams will play a three-match One-Day and a three-match T20 series. The first One-Day match between India and Bangladesh is scheduled for August 17.

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However, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is not very keen on this series because of the tension between India and Pakistan. The series may get canceled. If that happens, Kohli's return in the Indian jersey may be delayed even further.

If the proposed series against Bangladesh gets cancelled, Kohli will have to wait another two months to play One-Day International cricket. The Indian team is set to tour Australia for a white-ball series. The first One-Day match against Pat Cummins’ team will be in Perth on October 19. Kohli may be seen wearing the national jersey again in that match. Not just Kohli, Rohit Sharma is also expected to play. Both Kohli and Rohit could return to international cricket together.

But the big question remains — will Kohli play in the One-Day World Cup after two years? His childhood coach, Rajkumar Sharma, has answered this. He believes that Kohli will play in the 2027 World Cup.

Rajkumar feels that Kohli will now focus fully on One-Day cricket. He will work with the 2027 World Cup as his main goal. Rajkumar said, “We lost the last World Cup final unfortunately. I hope Kohli will win the next one for India. He will be 100 per cent dedicated to that mission.”