Virat Kohli said the 2027 World Cup will be his final tournament for India.
Why it matters: The announcement gives one of cricket's biggest stars a clear end date and raises the stakes for the 2027 ODI cycle. It also matters commercially: Kohli remains a major draw for broadcasters, sponsors and India's huge cricket audience.
- Kohli made the comments on Sept. 26, 2026, in remarks to broadcaster JioStar.
- He said the 2027 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup will be his last tournament for India.
- Kohli has already retired from Test cricket and T20 internationals, leaving ODIs as his only India format.
- The 2027 World Cup will be the fifth ODI World Cup of Kohli’s career.
Virat Kohli has set a retirement timeline for his ODI career, saying the 2027 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup will be his final tournament for India.
Kohli made the remark on Sept. 26, 2026, in comments to broadcaster JioStar, according to Reuters-syndicated coverage carried by multiple outlets. He said he is motivated to help India win the tournament and will “give everything” toward that goal.
“For me, it’s the last World Cup I’m going to play for India,” Kohli said. He added: “The goal is absolutely to win the World Cup and whatever it takes, I’m absolutely ready.”
The 37-year-old has already retired from Tests and T20 internationals, and now plays only ODIs for India. He is the leading century-maker in men’s ODI cricket with 54 hundreds and has scored 14,941 ODI runs, second only to Sachin Tendulkar’s 18,426, per Reuters coverage.
The 2027 World Cup will be the fifth ODI World Cup of Kohli’s career. The ICC says the tournament will be co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, and will feature 14 teams under a new three-stage format.
India’s home-ODI squad announced on Sept. 16, 2026 still included both Kohli and Rohit Sharma, underscoring that Kohli’s timeline points to the 2027 cycle rather than an immediate exit.
By the numbers
- 54 - ODI centuries for Kohli, the most in men’s ODI cricket
- 14,941 - ODI runs Kohli has scored, second only to Sachin Tendulkar’s 18,426
- 5 - ODI World Cups Kohli will have played by 2027
Yes, but: The timeline is a retirement plan, not an immediate exit - Kohli is still active in ODIs and India has not announced a formal farewell date.
What's next: Kohli is expected to continue as an ODI-only player for India through the 2027 World Cup cycle.