Indian batting great Virat Kohli said in a podcast published on Friday that he would consider playing in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in 2027 if he could “add more value” to the team.
Kohli, 37, considered one of the most prolific batsmen of his generation, is a hero to millions of Indian fans.
“If I can add value to the environment I’m a part of, if the environment feels I can add value, then I will be looked at,” he said in a podcast released by his IPL franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore.
“If I feel like I have to prove my worth and my worth, I’m not in that place.”
Now playing only the 50-over format for India, Kohli is the second highest run-getter in international cricket.
But his India contract was downgraded this year by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
“I want to play cricket and I want to continue,” he said. Playing for India in the World Cup is amazing.
Kohli bounced back from two consecutive games to score an unbeaten 105 to lead defending champions Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) to a crucial win in the Indian Premier League (IPL) this week.
It was his ninth century in the IPL but his first this season
“After acting like this, if I have to be in a place where I have to prove my value and worth, this is not for me,” he said.
Kohli, who has struggled for form since retiring from T20 Internationals after India’s 2024 World Cup win, announced his retirement from Test cricket in 2025.