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.

Gary Kirsten guided India to some of its greatest achievements during his three-year tenure as head coach. The defining moment came in his final assignment, when Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina carried him on their shoulders after India lifted the 2011 Cricket World Cup at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

Kirsten looks back on those years with fondness, even as he now finds himself in the opposition camp.

As Sri Lanka head coach, he will be plotting India’s downfall when the two-match Test series begins at Galle on Saturday.

“That was a great three years. There was a lot of skill in the team. What I appreciated was that they accepted me into their space and felt I could add value. That was a real privilege,” Kirsten said during a virtual interaction on Thursday.

The South African earned widespread praise for his man-management skills while working with a star-studded Indian side that included Sachin Tendulkar, M.S. Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh.

Kirsten hopes to build similar relationships with the current Sri Lankan squad.

“I’ve treated this Sri Lankan opportunity with the same seriousness that I did the Indian team. I built good relationships with the Indian players, and I’m attempting to do the same with the Sri Lankan players,” he said.

The 58-year-old kept his cards close to his chest when asked about India’s perceived vulnerability against spin. “We would certainly like to bring all the skills into the game, not just spin,” Kirsten said.

The former opening batter also backed India head coach Gautam Gambhir. “His record speaks for itself. I really enjoyed working with him when he was a player. He was a very smart cricketer, and I knew he would have success as a coach,” Kirsten said.

(Watch Sri Lanka vs. India 1st Test Day 1 on August 15, 2026, from 10 a.m. IST live on Sony Sports Ten 1 SD & HD and Sony LIV).

As the Indian team prepares to take on Sri Lanka, the focus is on the players who are not in the team. Jasprit Bumrah (left knee ‘niggle’), Sai Sudharsan (stress reaction in right foot and toe), Hardik Pandya (quadriceps, setback in recovery), Harshit Rana (muscle strain sustained after return from right knee ligament injury and surgery), Nitish Reddy (quadriceps), Washington Sundar (hamstring), Akash Deep (back stress) are missing.

The suspicion that players carrying injuries play in the IPL to the detriment of the country’s international prospects is growing. The IPL is admittedly an easy target. But that does not make it an implausible one. There’s too much money and prestige involved (for the owners and sponsors especially) for it to be otherwise. The BCCI is asking the right questions, but it might not like the answer.

The regularity with which elite cricketers pull a muscle or injure themselves might even suggest OTS or Over Training Syndrome. In recent years, American Simone Manuel, the first Black woman to win an individual Olympic swimming gold revealed she had OTS, bringing the condition into popular discourse.

Fitness issues

Cricket fitness is not to be confused with athletic fitness. A cricketer may be relatively inactive for long periods, and then suddenly need to sprint, dive, jump, throw, bat, or bowl at high intensity. You be at slip without touching the ball for 89.5 overs of the day, yet be sharp enough to catch off the last ball. Such fitness made Rahul Dravid for one, a great slip fielder.

The needs of individual skills in the game differ; wicketkeepers train differently from fast bowlers, for example, although a basic level of fitness has to be maintained. Players understand their bodies better than they did a couple of generations ago, and teams are accompanied by professional trainers and physios with precise routines for them.

Not so long ago, the Indian physio’s slot was the fiefdom of a gentleman whose greatest service to the team was occasionally cutting a player’s hair or running errands for him (and family). The fittest players then, Kapil Dev (who didn’t miss a single Test with a fitness issue; he played 131 of them), and Sunil Gavaskar (who didn’t believe in overdoing the gym routines, yet knew how to keep himself fit, as he continues to at the age of 77) might have been the exceptions. Despite Tiger Pataudi (superbly fit himself) laying emphasis on fitness, it never took precedence over specific skills.

Today, with so much cricket being played in so many formats (five, if you include The Hundred and T10), and over so many days in the year, fitness has become a key issue. Indian players understand the importance and focus on diet, sleep, physical workouts and keeping stress-free to maintain a certain level. The Board of Control for Cricket in India has introduced the yo-yo test and the Bronco test to quantify ‘fitness’.

‘Over fitness’ may not be real, but over training is. Younger Indian players, so conscious of matching up to the best sometimes appear like the taught strings of a tennis racquet or a tightly stretched string in a musical instrument. A slight disturbance, you hear a ‘twang’ and there goes the hamstring.

Virat Kohli, possibly the fittest Indian cricketer, has inspired a generation. He evolved as player and man who at the start his career was seen as a party-going, slightly overweight cautionary tale but soon became a focussed, fitness-conscious captain and the world’s No. 1 batter. “I know I can play 49 overs and still run 10, 12 in the last over to win a game,” he once told an interviewer.

Between 1500 and 2000 players take part in the domestic season in India, in varying conditions and at different times of the year. Injuries are a part of an athlete’s career. Yet, what is concerning now is not the inevitability of injury, but its regularity in the national squad which has the best coaches and physios available and pays focussed attention to fitness.

Do we ask too much of our players? Do the players ask too much of their bodies? Rotating players is the modern way. But when injuries persist, it is good to study patterns however uncomfortable the picture that emerges.

Board of Control for Cricket in India’s Centre of Excellence (CoE) head VVS Laxman on Sunday lauded Indian batter Virat Kohli as an exemplary professional and role model.

He stressed that Kohli consistently sets very high standards for himself and strives to meet them every time he plays, inspiring young cricketers and teammates to emulate him.

“I think there is no doubt that Virat is an exemplary professional. And the standards he sets for himself are something which he tries and goes out every time he plays (for) whichever team to meet those standards,” Laxman told the reporters at a press conference in Bengaluru on Sunday.

“And that’s why he is a great role model. And I think a lot of youngsters or players want to emulate him,” he added.

The hardest thing to do in modern-day cricket is to shift gears when you are already cruising. Fresh off a 4-0 dismantling of reigning World T20 champion India in the shortest format, England will face a different kind of test from Tuesday.

Awaiting the host in the ODI series is a significantly stronger Indian side, bolstered by the return of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah. For England, the presence of India’s talismanic trio demands a change in the gameplan.

In a virtual interaction on Monday, opener Ben Duckett acknowledged the scale of the “challenge” but insisted that England was confident of carrying its momentum into the 50-over assignment. “Obviously, it’s a different format, so there will be slight changes. Rohit, Virat and Jasprit are three of the greatest players to play this format. Any side with them is always extremely tough to beat,” said Duckett.

“Shubman Gill is back as well, so there’s a lot of class in that side. They’re (Rohit, Kohli and Gill) players we’ve faced before, and I’m sure our bowlers will have plans for them. Jasprit is probably the best all-format bowler in the world, so any Indian side with him is always a huge challenge,” added the 31-year-old.

The left-hander, however, remained optimistic about the home side clinching the series. “We’re confident coming into this week. We’ve got a lot of guys playing well, too, so it should be a good series. We certainly fancy our chances,” he said.

Duckett reserved special praise for England’s white-ball captain Harry Brook, crediting him for fostering an “aggressive and fearless” approach within the group.

“Brookie leads by example. He wants us to play attacking cricket, and that’s exactly how he plays. He’s always looking to take wickets with attacking fields. As a batter, there aren’t many better all-format players than him in the world right now. We’re very fortunate to have him leading us.”

(Watch the three-match ODI series between England and India Live on Sony Sports Ten 1 SD & HD & Sony Sports Ten 5 SD & HD from July 14).

Former England off-spinner Graeme Swann was suffering from the aftereffects of staying up all night for the FIFA World Cup quarterfinal matches.

Scheduled to address the media virtually on Sunday evening, Swann — currently on broadcast duty in India for the Men in Blue’s tour of England — would not have minded more rest before facing the scribes. But when he was put on the spot, firstly with the most obvious question on Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s presence in the ODI series, he responded with clarity.

Swann opined that the 39-year-old Rohit and Kohli, 37, possess the tools to succeed despite not having age on their side. “When Rohit and Virat play together, they pose a double headache for the fielding team. When India bats first, Rohit is the best I have seen… batting on a fresh pitch, taking the game away from the opposition and posting a big total,” said the 47-year-old.

“I believe that Virat is the greatest chaser we have ever witnessed; some of his knocks are stupendous. Having both is a massive bonus for India.”

He remarked that the veterans, who are one-format players nowadays, should be allowed to bow out of international cricket on their own terms. “Because of the standards Rohit and Virat have set and careers they have had, it is up to them when they want to finish. I do not think that they have much to worry about because they are still brilliant players,” Swann added.

Fresh impetus

Swann felt that the batting might of ODI skipper Shubman Gill and return of ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah, besides the quality of Rohit and Kohli, should provide India hope. “It is amazing to have players of that stature come straight back into the team. After the T20I series (where India was thrashed 0-4), you need fresh impetus.”

(Watch the three-match ODI series between England and India live on Sony Sports Ten 1 SD & HD & Sony Sports Ten 5 SD & HD from July 14).

It is one of cricket’s ironies that players welcome captaincy despite knowing that the chances of escaping its psychological and physical damage are low. Great captains are often those who hide their trauma well. Even those who enjoy the job and have a profound effect on the game reach a point when the ‘honour’ doesn’t matter any more.

England captain Ben Stokes torching “the church that he built,” in the memorable words of cricket writer Vithushan Ehantharajah, was a reminder of what captaincy can do to players, even the best ones.

“I was so scarred and devastated by the experience,” admitted Sachin Tendulkar (who led in 25 Tests), “that I even wondered whether I should walk away from cricket.” This, from the man with over 15,000 Test runs and 51 centuries. Captains tend to grey prematurely and lose hair steadily. Anxiety is a constant companion. They make their decisions before an event but are judged only after the consequences become clear. Win or lose, it is difficult to be fully effective beyond a few series.

Michael Atherton, who led England in 54 Tests felt that “four years is about the limit. It is a job that takes its toll.”

Man of many parts

A captain, wrote Doug Insole, former England player and selector, is a public relations officer, agricultural consultant, psychiatrist, accountant, nursemaid, diplomat. Ray Illingworth in his book Captaincy added to that with: “He needs to have the patience of a saint, the compassion of a social worker, and the skin of a rhino…”

Despite the presence of the coaching staff, the captain has an unnatural burden on his shoulders. The reaction to Stokes’s post-victory celebration was extreme (he was dropped for a Test in the New Zealand series despite lack of clarity on whether the midnight curfew remained in place after a match was over). Stokes’ nose-thumbing or middle-finger wagging or whatever it was that caused him to open the batting and go on a suicide mission was extreme too. England cricket is in that familiar place now — a mess.

If there was one man who raised it to great heights recently, it was Stokes. If there is one who is the symbol of everything wrong with it now, it is Stokes. A great all rounder and inspiring captain jumped before he was pushed — other captains haven’t been so lucky.

One of India’s finest, Srinivas Venkatraghavan had the mortification of hearing of his sacking from the pilot on the PA system of the aircraft carrying the team back to India after a tour of England. Australia’s Kim Hughes bid a tearful farewell after yet another defeat against the West Indies.

After England’s defeat to India at Lord’s in ’86, skipper David Gower was at the post-match interview while in the dressing room chief selector Peter May was offering the captaincy to Mike Gatting. Gower was the last to know. “You will have the worst time of your life,” former England captain Brian Close told a successor, Ian Botham about captaincy.

The captain is the focal point of the pressure on a team, and feels the heat the most. In Stokes’ case, there was the added strain of ‘Bazball’, a wonderful system of play when things were going well but without a fall-back position when things were going badly. It was exciting while it lasted, but when it unravelled in Australia, Stokes and his men losing the Ashes series 1-4, the sharpened knives could be seen glinting. Victory is the only justification for any system, even the ones difficult to understand or accept.

Perhaps Virat Kohli was speaking for the majority when he explained why he gave up captaincy: “I was completely spent. I was consumed by it. It was gruesome.” Interesting choice of words, but the message is clear. As the great Mike Brearley pointed out in his classic, The Art of Captaincy, “We receive repeated intimations of our own fallibility.” It helped that skipper Brearley was a philosopher, psychoanalyst and author, but he is unique.

Captains have to absorb the pressure so the rest of the team can play freely. Stokes removed the fear of failure from the players, and backed them for fitting in. But in the end he was overwhelmed. A cautionary tale? Perhaps, but was it worth it?

It is one of cricket’s ironies that players welcome captaincy despite knowing that the chances of escaping its psychological and physical damage are low. Great captains are often those who hide their trauma well. Even those who enjoy the job and have a profound effect on the game reach a point when the ‘honour’ doesn’t matter any more.

England captain Ben Stokes torching “the church that he built,” in the memorable words of cricket writer Vithushan Ehantharajah, was a reminder of what captaincy can do to players, even the best ones.

“I was so scarred and devastated by the experience,” admitted Sachin Tendulkar (who led in 25 Tests), “that I even wondered whether I should walk away from cricket.” This, from the man with over 15,000 Test runs and 51 centuries. Captains tend to grey prematurely and lose hair steadily. Anxiety is a constant companion. They make their decisions before an event but are judged only after the consequences become clear. Win or lose, it is difficult to be fully effective beyond a few series.

Michael Atherton, who led England in 54 Tests felt that “four years is about the limit. It is a job that takes its toll.”

Man of many parts

A captain, wrote Doug Insole, former England player and selector, is a public relations officer, agricultural consultant, psychiatrist, accountant, nursemaid, diplomat. Ray Illingworth in his book Captaincy added to that with: “He needs to have the patience of a saint, the compassion of a social worker, and the skin of a rhino…”

Despite the presence of the coaching staff, the captain has an unnatural burden on his shoulders. The reaction to Stokes’s post-victory celebration was extreme (he was dropped for a Test in the New Zealand series despite lack of clarity on whether the midnight curfew remained in place after a match was over). Stokes’ nose-thumbing or middle-finger wagging or whatever it was that caused him to open the batting and go on a suicide mission was extreme too. England cricket is in that familiar place now — a mess.

If there was one man who raised it to great heights recently, it was Stokes. If there is one who is the symbol of everything wrong with it now, it is Stokes. A great all rounder and inspiring captain jumped before he was pushed — other captains haven’t been so lucky.

One of India’s finest, Srinivas Venkatraghavan had the mortification of hearing of his sacking from the pilot on the PA system of the aircraft carrying the team back to India after a tour of England. Australia’s Kim Hughes bid a tearful farewell after yet another defeat against the West Indies.

After England’s defeat to India at Lord’s in ’86, skipper David Gower was at the post-match interview while in the dressing room chief selector Peter May was offering the captaincy to Mike Gatting. Gower was the last to know. “You will have the worst time of your life,” former England captain Brian Close told a successor, Ian Botham about captaincy.

The captain is the focal point of the pressure on a team, and feels the heat the most. In Stokes’ case, there was the added strain of ‘Bazball’, a wonderful system of play when things were going well but without a fall-back position when things were going badly. It was exciting while it lasted, but when it unravelled in Australia, Stokes and his men losing the Ashes series 1-4, the sharpened knives could be seen glinting. Victory is the only justification for any system, even the ones difficult to understand or accept.

Perhaps Virat Kohli was speaking for the majority when he explained why he gave up captaincy: “I was completely spent. I was consumed by it. It was gruesome.” Interesting choice of words, but the message is clear. As the great Mike Brearley pointed out in his classic, The Art of Captaincy, “We receive repeated intimations of our own fallibility.” It helped that skipper Brearley was a philosopher, psychoanalyst and author, but he is unique.

Captains have to absorb the pressure so the rest of the team can play freely. Stokes removed the fear of failure from the players, and backed them for fitting in. But in the end he was overwhelmed. A cautionary tale? Perhaps, but was it worth it?

Pretty soon, the Indian selectors will have to take a call on the future of two of the greatest players to have put bat to white ball. Both Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma appear keen to play in the World Cup in October-November next year. India play at least 18 One-Day Internationals before that, possibly more.

On paper, the selectors’ task is straightforward: keep tabs on form and fitness, the only two metrics that matter, although Kohli turns 39 during the World Cup and Rohit will be 40 earlier.

But its seldom so simple in India. For one, should the two greats be hyphenated? Is it a Kohli-Rohit issue, or will dropping one make it easier to justify the other’s selection? Is this cricket’s version of the Prisoner’s Dilemma, where if one person withdraws, the other goes through?

Have the players been told in advance what the selectorial thinking is so they know what to expect and there will be no embarrassment? Can a ‘cricketing’ decision, which is what it will be touted as either way, be independent of the sentiment and romance attached to it?

Chairman Ajit Agarkar and his team have shown a streak of ruthlessness Indian cricket is unfamiliar with, ditching the captain who won the T20 World Cup. Suryakumar Yadav was desperately short of runs, and India’s pool in T20 cricket is so vast and so deep that it was a justified call. Fan response was muted, although that will not be the case with Kohli and Rohit. The selectors’ message, though, is simple: runs matter.

Crucial series

The three-match ODI series in England next month will be crucial. Both as an opportunity for self-assessment for the two veterans and to give the selectors some clues. Kohli, who missed the Afghanistan series with a hamstring injury, was replaced by Yashasvi Jaiswal who made a century in the last match. But Jaiswal is not in the team for England (unless Kohli misses out again and he takes the older man’s place). Younger players in form shouldn’t be kept waiting for too long; it’s easy to sympathise with Jaiswal. But such are India’s riches.

Selectors have the job of balancing the past with the future while focusing on the present. Youngsters have to be given a chance to succeed, while veterans need the chance to fail, as this column has often argued. In other words, youngsters require the freedom and backing to build confidence without fear of being dropped immediately. Veterans possess an equity that entitles them to a bad run without being instantly discarded.

Skipper Shubman Gill has not looked uncomfortable with former captains playing under him. This was not always the case with India where former captains often acted like they had power but no responsibility. Gill’s inputs will be important too as he settles in for a long career as batter and captain, possibly in all three formats.

Rohit Sharma missed the 2011 World Cup which India won. The chairman of selectors then, Krishnamachari Srikkanth apologised for this a decade later. He said in a podcast, “I still feel bad for him. We just wanted more all-round options.” Rohit has come through a lot since then, including, as captain, the agony of losing the last final at home to Australia.

Kohli was a key member of that 2011 squad, starting with a century and finishing with an important partnership in the final with Gautam Gambhir.

Present matters

Not that any of that should matter to the selectors. It wouldn’t do to choose players based purely on past record or to compensate for past wrongs. The present should be all that matters here. Playing in South Africa (and Zimbabwe) means the experience of the stalwarts is important.

As things stand, Kohli probably has the better chance of making the team a year from now. His fitness has been an example to colleagues, and so too his motivation and fierce competitive spirit. Rohit might appear more laid-back but he is equally motivated and competitive. In the end, it will have to be form and fitness alone that matter.

Between now and the final selection, Kohli and Rohit will figure prominently in all discussions, an important adjunct to the main story of India’s preparation.