Kohli says 2027 will be his final ODI World Cup

Virat Kohli has said the 2027 men's Cricket World Cup will be his last, according to the Guardian's reporting on Saturday. The India batter identified the tournament in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia next October as his final World Cup campaign, having already stepped away from the other two international formats.

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Kohli has appeared in four editions of the 50-over World Cup, making the 2027 competition a prospective fifth appearance. He was part of India's title-winning side on home soil in 2011 and played in the team beaten by Australia in 2023. His latest comments concern his World Cup future, rather than setting out a date for retirement from all cricket.

In comments carried by the Guardian, Kohli described the physical demands of maintaining modern limited-overs intensity throughout a World Cup. He likened one 50-over match to playing two and a half Twenty20 games in a day, while sustaining that level over a lengthy tournament. Playing in overseas conditions added to the challenge, he said, explaining how much the competition demands of a player.

The announcement comes with Kohli still among the leading performers in ODI history. The Guardian reported his career total at 14,941 runs, behind only Sachin Tendulkar, with a record 54 centuries in the format. His international schedule has narrowed: the ICC records that he retired from T20 internationals in 2024 and from Test cricket in 2025.

His commitment to preparing for 2027 was already public. In a report published on May 15, the ICC detailed comments from Kohli's appearance on the RCB podcast, where he rejected suggestions that he was continuing to play without a clear objective. He said representing India at another World Cup remained a motivation and stressed that his preparation matched that ambition.

In that earlier interview, Kohli also emphasised the work required beyond batting, saying he prepared to cover the boundary for extended periods in an ODI without complaint. He described a shift away from measuring his career primarily through records and achievements, towards enjoying cricket itself. Saturday's reported announcement gives that continuing commitment a defined endpoint in World Cup competition.