2027 World Cup: Kohli ready to do whatever it takes to win on final bow

The three-match ODI series between India and the West Indies, which begins on Sunday in Thiruvananthapuram, has suddenly acquired an extra edge. If the anticipation among the fans about the return of Ro-Ko is a given, now Virat Kohli has laid down the marker that he is ready to do “whatever it takes” to win what would be his last ODI World Cup in 2027.

The master batter’s assertion, released in an interview with the official broadcasters on the eve of the West Indies series, underlines the fact that the Big Two would be in the team management’s scheme of things as the Men in Blue seek to regain the 50-overs showpiece after 2011. Head coach Gautam Gambhir, meanwhile, sent out a loaded signal about it when he said in an interview earlier this week that ODI captain Shubman Gill was ‘fortunate’ to have the big guns by his side for any problems on and off the field.

Incidentally, Kohli will be 39, and the ‘Hitman’ will be 40 when the next ODI World Cup comes around under testing conditions of South Africa.  “For me, it’s the last World Cup I'm going to play for India and that is my motivation. Like, you know, to leave everything out there. And of course, the goal is absolutely to win the World Cup. And whatever it takes, I'm absolutely ready,” said Kohli, who is now just 59 runs short of becoming only the second batter to complete 15,000 ODI runs.

Sachin Tendulkar is the leading rungetter in this format by a mile at 18,426 runs – but Kohli will be more keen to complete an unfinished business of winning the big prize for the second time in what could be his fifth appearance. He had been a junior member of the group on his first bow when India won the cup at home under M.S. Dhoni’s leadership, while he saw the trophy slip away in the 2023 Ahmedabad final despite being the highest scorer of the tournament with 765 runs.   

“The intensity of a 50-over World Cup is greater than anything,’’ said Kohli, whose generation had grown in the glory days of the format alongwith Rohit. ‘’Because now, it’s about 10 games at a T20 level of intensity. But you are playing 2.5 T20 games in one day. And to maintain that intensity for 10 games in a big tournament and World Cup is a big deal. Also now, it's in foreign conditions. It takes a lot out of you,” he added.

A look at his figures show that Kohli has been one of the most productive batsmen in World Cup history in both formats. He has played 37 ODIs in the World Cup to score 1795 runs at an average of 59.83, including five hundreds and 12 fifties with a top score of 117. In his overall ODI career, Virat amassed 14,941 runs in 302 innings at an average of 58.59 with 54 centuries and 79 fifties. His highest score is 183 and strike rate of 93.95.

Hailed as a chasemaster in the white ball format, Kohli also has a phenomenal record in T20 World Cups with 1292 runs in 35 matches at an average of 58.73. He has 15 half-centuries, the most in the tournament’s history and has been named Player of the Tournament twice in 2014 and 2016.

Catch the match

India vs West Indies

First ODI, Thiruvananthapuram

Start: 2 pm IST