Kohli says he will stop worrying about expectations as India begin road to 2027 World Cup
Virat Kohli said, ahead of Sunday’s first ODI against the West Indies in Thiruvananthapuram, that he will stop worrying about external expectations as he focuses on the 2027 ODI World Cup. "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," Kohli told JioStar ahead of the three-match series.
The 2027 tournament, to be jointly hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia in October and November, will be Kohli's fourth ODI World Cup and, at 37 years old, his final one for India by his own account. India have named Kohli and Rohit Sharma in their squad for the West Indies series, with Shubman Gill continuing as captain as the side begins a new ODI cycle building toward the World Cup. With the cycle starting now, Kohli said each match carries added importance.
Since the 2025 Champions Trophy, Kohli has scored 760 runs in 12 ODIs at an average of 76, including three centuries and five fifties. From the start of 2025 he has accumulated 1,035 runs at 64.68, and his last 10 ODIs have produced three hundreds and seven scores of fifty or more.
Kohli described a deliberate change in mindset underpinning his form, saying: "What's changed is, firstly, I promised myself that I'm going to play more freely. I'm not going to worry about the expectations that people might have around me. My role had always been, for a long period of time, that I'm going to stabilise things." He added that the freedom to take risks has been apparent since he began batting at the top.
That approach carried into the IPL, where Kohli's 2026 campaign produced 675 runs in 16 matches at a strike rate of 165.85; he also recorded his fastest IPL fifty and helped RCB retain the title. Kohli said occupying an aggressive role at the top allowed him to embrace risk without seeing dismissal as a failure of responsibility.
On his tactical intent in ODIs, Kohli said: "I am making a conscious effort to make a difference in the game, where you can get 30-40 extra runs. I want to stay in a space where, if I'm choosing not to take a risk, it's because I'm setting up eventually to get to a point where I say, okay, now press the accelerator down." He also spoke about scoring targets, saying: "The game is changing in a way that, especially if the conditions are fast-paced and good, and other teams are looking to push you towards 340-350, we should be able to get 350-360 as well. I'm very willing to take risks now because I know that if I make runs there, we'll get 350-360 easily. And if I do that and play longer, then I can hit more at the end."
Kohli attributed part of his freedom to trust in his teammates, saying: "I had to unlock a little bit of that freedom in my own mind. That's also helped me in the IPL as well. I was able to play with that same freedom because I'm not thinking that if I get out, the situation might get difficult for us." He added: "I have faith in the fact that there are other players around me who are very good and who will be able to handle the situation. I need to express myself fully and find a way to be consistent doing that. That's exciting as well at this stage of my career."
With the 2027 World Cup less than 14 months away, Kohli has framed the current three-match series against the West Indies as the start of India’s preparation, beginning with the first ODI in Thiruvananthapuram.