Virat Kohli says he will retire from India cricket after 2027 World Cup

What the report says

Virat Kohli has said the 2027 men’s Cricket World Cup will be his final tournament for India, according to Al Jazeera’s report based on comments he made to broadcaster JioStar. Kohli, 37, is one of India’s most accomplished batters and the leading century-maker in one-day internationals with 54 hundreds. He has already stepped away from T20 internationals and Test cricket, leaving ODIs as his only format for India.

The World Cup is scheduled to be jointly hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia in October and November 2027, and Kohli said it would be his fifth ODI World Cup. He said his aim was to give everything in pursuit of another title for India. India last won the tournament at home in 2011 and reached the final in 2023, where it lost to Australia.

Kohli described the 50-over World Cup as especially demanding because of the intensity required across a long tournament, particularly when played outside home conditions. That context matters because India will be trying to end a long wait for another ODI World Cup title, and Kohli remains a central figure in that effort despite being near the end of his international career.

The article also noted that Rohit Sharma, another senior India batter who now plays only ODIs, said he remained motivated by the possibility of another World Cup campaign. Both players were named in India’s squad for a three-match ODI series against West Indies.