‘It’s the last World Cup I’m going to play for India’: Kohli

Virat Kohli has said next year’s ODI World Cup will be his last for India, and that he is going to “leave everything out there” to win the trophy.

Kohli (37), who now plays only one format, spoke to JioStar ahead of the ODI series against West Indies starting here on Sunday (September 27, 2026). The World Cup will be hosted jointly by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.

“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,” he said.

Kohli has been part of an ODI World Cup-winning side, having played under Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s captaincy in the 2011 edition of the tournament.

Kohli, who will turn 38 in November 2026, said the intensity of a 50-over World Cup was greater than anything else. “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 said.

His teammate and former captain Rohit Sharma, 39, also spoke about his unfinished business with the World Cup. “The thought will never cross my mind that the business I had is finished. As long as you’re playing, there is always something to look forward to. And I’m looking forward to the World Cup, looking at what lies ahead for me,” he said.

“When the World Cup is played, when we play an ICC tournament, it has its own unique challenge, because you face different opponents, you play at different venues. So, you have to prepare differently, think in a different way, and that is the challenge,” Sharma said.

The first ODI of West Indies’ tour of India will be played on Sunday (September 27, 2026), from 2 p.m. onwards, live on JioHotstar and the Star Sports Network.