2027 World Cup to be Virat Kohli’s Last: “There Is Still Some Unfinished Business”

India batting great Virat Kohli has confirmed that the 2027 ODI World Cup is likely to be his final appearance at the global tournament.

Kohli said his primary goal for the 2027 World Cup will be to help India win the trophy and that he is ready to give everything for the team.

The 2023 World Cup final defeat against Australia in Ahmedabad remains a painful memory for Kohli. India had enjoyed an outstanding campaign and entered the final with strong confidence, but eventually suffered a six-wicket defeat.

Kohli was dismissed for 54 in that final while looking set for a bigger innings. He said he had hoped to score around 140-150, which he felt could have put India in a strong position to cross 300 and win the match.

For his final World Cup, Kohli has a specific dream: to play a match-winning innings in the final and finish the chase by hitting the winning runs.

Kohli, who was part of India’s 2011 World Cup-winning team, said his focus will be on winning as many matches as possible for India during the 2027 tournament.

Both Kohli and Rohit Sharma are now one-format international players after retiring from Test and T20I cricket.

Kohli believes focusing exclusively on ODI cricket has also allowed him to approach the format with greater freedom. His ODI batting average, which stood at 58.18 at the end of 2024, has since increased to 58.59. Since the start of 2025, he has averaged 64.68 in ODIs, while his strike rate has improved from 93.54 to 99.80.

Kohli said he is now making a conscious effort to play more freely and take calculated risks rather than focusing solely on stabilising an innings.

He also believes that modern ODI cricket demands teams to aim for scores in the region of 350 or 360, and he wants to use his time at the crease to make a greater impact.

The 2027 ODI World Cup will be hosted in southern Africa, and the tournament is set to mark the final World Cup chapter of Kohli’s international career.