"I work as hard, if not harder, than anyone else."
Virat Kohli revealed he will not play at the 2027 Cricket World Cup if he is required to prove his worth to the Indian national team.
Despite retiring from Tests and T20 internationals, Kohli remains a central figure for India.
He was part of India’s 2011 World Cup-winning squad and played a key role in their recent Champions Trophy success.
When the subject turned to the next World Cup, Kohli told the RCB Podcast:
“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.
“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.”
Virat Kohli has played 311 one-day internationals and scored 14,797 runs, with only Sachin Tendulkar ahead of him in ODI history with 18,426 runs.
The right-hander averages 58.71 in ODIs, rising to 65.78 when chasing targets, reinforcing his reputation as one of cricket’s most reliable pursuit batters.
In South Africa, the host nation for the 2027 World Cup, he has averaged 76.38 across 20 one-day internationals.
Kohli also addressed uncertainty around his role, saying some people are “trying to complicate it for me”, without naming individuals:
“Look, if you go to your workplace, and if people say we believe in your abilities, and then a week later they start questioning the way you operate, it’s like, why?
“Either tell me on day one I’m not good enough or I’m not needed. Or if you’ve said I’m good enough and you say we’re not even thinking otherwise, then be quiet.”
Watch the Full Interview
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