Virat Kohli To Play In ODI World Cup 2027? Ex-RCB Teammate Drops 'Training' Hint

Former Indian cricket team wicket-keeper batter Dinesh Karthik dropped a massive hint regarding Virat Kohli's plans for the 2027 ODI World Cup. Virat has already retired from Tests as well as T20Is but he remains determined to play in the ODIs. He will be in action during the upcoming ODI series against Australia starting Sunday. Karthik, who played with Kohli for India and Indian Premier League (IPL) side Royal Challengers Bengaluru, said that the star batter is serious about playing in the next ODI World Cup and even revealed that he has been training hard in London during his time away from the field. In a video shared on Instagram, Karthik also pointed out Kohli's importance to the national team.

“He is keen to play the World Cup. That is number one. In London, he was training during this big layoff that he has had after a long time in his life. I also know he was practising cricket easily 2-3 sessions a week," he said.

“Now that tells you the man is serious about wanting to play this World Cup. And if he is around, there is no tension, according to me. Because he knows what it takes to perform under pressure. And he has done that time and time again. And I am very confident he will do it again," he added.

Karthik explained the role that Virat plays for the team and its significance.

"Let's start with just pure stats. Since the 2023 World Cup, he has scored 1098 runs at 64.58. Now if you just see how India have played for some time now, he is the fulcrum. He is that most important glue in that team around which everybody else plays. The likes of (Shubman) Gill, Rohit Sharma, Shreyas Iyer, and KL Rahul – they all play attacking, positive cricket because they know Virat Kohli is there to absorb pressure. In case things go wrong, he will take care of it from one end. The latest example is the Champions Trophy against Pakistan. A bit of a wobble; he was there at 31 for 1. And then if you do take the semi-finals (vs Australia) as well, 42 for 2, he was batting there again; he got India out of a precarious situation," he said.

Topics mentioned in this article

Dinesh Karthik Virat Kohli India Cricket Team Cricket