If I have to prove my worth…: Virat Kohli breaks silence on retirement talks

Former India captain Virat Kohli has finally broken his silence around the constant speculation over his future in international cricket and the possibility of playing the 2027 ODI World Cup, saying he does not want to be in an environment where he is repeatedly asked to prove his worth despite his commitment and preparation for the game.

Kohli made the remarks during an appearance on the Royal Challengers Bengaluru podcast, where the batting great spoke candidly about his mindset, his relationship with the game, and the repeated questions surrounding his future with the Indian team.

The 37-year-old, who now plays only ODI cricket for India after retiring from T20Is following India’s 2024 T20 World Cup triumph and stepping away from Test cricket ahead of the England tour last year, said his outlook towards cricket has become extremely clear.

“My perspective is very clear. If I can add value to the environment that I am a part of and the environment feels like I can add value, I will be seen. If I am made to feel like I need to prove my worth and my value, I'm not in that space. Because I am being honest to my preparation,” Kohli said.

“I am being honest to how I approach the game. I put my head down. I work hard. I am very thankful to God for giving me everything that I have been given in my cricketing career. And I feel very blessed and grateful for the opportunity. And when I arrive to play, I put my head down.”

Kohli stressed that his commitment towards Indian cricket has never changed and that he continues to prepare with the same discipline and intensity that defined his career over the years.

“I work as hard, if not harder than anyone else. And I play the game in the right way. You want me to run boundary to boundary for 40 overs in an ODI game? I will do that without a complaint. Because I prepare accordingly. I prepare for the fact that I will feel ,50 overs, every ball like it's the last ball I'm going to play in my career. And I will bat that way. And I will run between the wickets that way. And I will do everything possible for the team.”

The veteran batter said that after operating with such dedication, he does not see the need to justify his place constantly.

“After operating like this, if I have to be in a place where I have to prove my worth and value, that place is not meant to be for me,” he continued.

With ODI cricket now limited on the international calendar, questions around Kohli’s participation in the 2027 World Cup have only intensified. However, the former India captain indicated that he already knows where he stands on the matter.

“I know what I can deliver because I literally live my life like that. It is not like I prepare for a series to, you know, suddenly start working hard two or three weeks before. I am like that through the year. So if you call me to play, and if you say there is a series coming up, I am ready.”

“I am always ready because that's my daily life. You know, I work out, we eat well at home. It is because I like living that way. It is not only to play cricket. So that is where I am. I mean, this 27 (2027 World Cup) chat and all that, honestly, for me, it is like, we are at like mid 26. But I've been asked so many times, do you want to play 27?,” he said.

“I know the answer. Like, why would I leave my home, you know, get my stuff over and be like, I don't know what I want. Of course, if I'm playing, I want to play cricket. I want to carry on. Playing a World Cup for India is amazing. But as I said, the value has to be two sides,” he added.

Kohli also opened up on his return to domestic cricket for Delhi in the Vijay Hazare Trophy earlier this year, a tournament where he scored 208 runs in just two appearances, including a century and a fifty. He revealed that the experience helped him reconnect with the pure joy of batting again.

“There was not a single person at the Centre of Excellence (in Bengaluru, which hosted the matches). I have played for so long, and thought, will it be motivating enough? But the moment my intention switched to, I want to play because I love playing. I just love batting. And I just want to focus on that. And I could not care. It is not like I did not feel,” he said.

Virat said the tournament made him feel like a youngster rediscovering the game.

“I was like, this is not about anyone else. This is about me and the game. And that is what it is going to be. And the moment I feel like, you know, people are trying to complicate it for me and be like, oh, but this and that. Either be clear and honest upfront or be quiet and let me play,” he added.

The batting icon also compared the uncertainty around players’ futures to a regular workplace environment, where opinions can fluctuate drastically based on results.

“It is like, why? Either tell me on day one, I am not good enough or I am not needed. Or if you have said I am good enough and you say we are not even thinking otherwise, then be quiet. You know, then don't,” he said.

“If you start operating up and down because of results, you can never have a consistent stance. And I'm not someone who behaves like that. As I said, when I come to play, I know what I can deliver in terms of effort, performance,” he added.

Kohli remains one of the greatest ODI batters in cricket history. In 311 ODIs, he has scored 14,797 runs at an average of 58.71 and a strike rate of 93.82, with 54 centuries and 77 fifties.

Despite playing limited ODI cricket last year because of the crowded international calendar, Kohli still finished as India’s highest run-scorer in the format with 651 runs in 13 innings at an average of 65.10, including three centuries and four fifties. This year, he has already scored 240 runs in three ODIs at an average of 80, with a century and a fifty.

Following the IPL, Kohli is expected to return to India duty during the ODI series against Afghanistan starting June 14.

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