India’s veteran batter Virat Kohli said he is not in the space to prove his worth and value and he can’t be part of such a dressing room where he has to prove his mettle. The talisman said he wants to play the 2027 ODI World Cup and he is tired of the number of times he has been asked the same question regarding his ODI future.
Kohli is currently shining in the ongoing IPL 2026, scoring 542 runs in 13 matches of the season for RCB at an average of 54.20 and a strike rate of 164.74. The talisman was a consistent performer for India across all formats but announced his Test retirement in May 2025.
“We’re in mid-2026,” Kohli said on RCB podcast. “I’ve been asked so many times, ‘Do you want to play ’27?’ Why would I leave my home, get my stuff over, and be like, ‘I don’t know what I want.’ Of course, if I’m playing, I want to play cricket, I want to carry on. Playing a World Cup for India is amazing.”
Kohli added he would only be seen playing in a team where he is given the freedom to add value.
“Today, my perspective is very clear,” Kohli said. “If I can add value to the environment that I’m a part of and the environment feels like I can add value, I’ll be seen. If I’m made to feel like I need to prove my worth and my value, I’m not in that space.
“Because I’m being honest to my preparation. I’m being honest to how I approach the game. I put my head down. I work hard. I’m very thankful to god for giving me everything that I’ve been given in my cricketing career. I feel very blessed and grateful for the opportunity. And when I arrive to play, I put my head down, I work as hard, if not harder, than anyone else. And I play the game in the right way. You want me to run from boundary to boundary for 40 overs in an ODI game, I will do that without a complaint. Because I prepare accordingly.
“I prepare for the fact that I will field 50 overs every ball like it’s the last ball I’m going to play in my career, and I will bat that way and I will run between the wickets that way, and I will do everything possible for the team. After operating like this, if I have to be in a place where I have to prove my worth and value, that place is not meant to be for me. And I am very clear in my head from that perspective.”
Kohli scored 58 runs off 37 balls against PBKS at Dharamshala on Saturday.
