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Virat Kohli confirms his future as Adam Gilchrist, Ravi Shastri emphatically state ‘2027 is definitely on the radar’
It is all but confirmed that Virat Kohli has his eyes set on the 2027 ODI World Cup despite all the chatter surrounding his future.
Virat Kohli did not have an ideal return to international cricket as he got out for a duck off the bowling of Mitchell Starc in the first ODI of the three-match series at the Optus Stadium in Perth on Sunday. The right-hander lasted just eight balls in the middle, and his stay was cut short after Kohli went for a big booming drive, only to find the fielder. Before the fixture got underway, Kohli was involved in a chat with broadcasters Adam Gilchrist and Ravi Shastri, and it was then that he all but confirmed his willingness to play the 2027 ODI World Cup.
Heading into the series opener, all the chatter and discourse has been about whether Kohli and Rohit Sharma would make the trip to South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe for the 50-over premier tournament in 2027. Head coach Gautam Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar have been non-committal, saying the competition is still two years away.
India vs Australia Live
However, it is common knowledge that the duo harbour a dream of going out on the ultimate high by winning the tournament, as the dream was left unfulfilled in 2023 after a heartbreaking defeat against Australia in the summit clash at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
Kohli has never spoken publicly about his desire for the 2027 World Cup, but his behaviour when Gilchrist and Shastri spoke about the tournament all but confirms that the fire still burns bright for the former India captain.
Here is the full conversation surrounding the 2027 World Cup between Kohli, Gilchrist and Shastri:
Gilchrist: Well, 2027 is obviously on the radar for you. You've achieved everything in the game. Congrats on the IPL as well. That elusive title. So, well done. All the best.
Kohli: Thank you (smiles).
Gilchrist: Thanks so much for joining us, and welcome back to Australia. Have a good series.
Kohli: Thank you.
Rohit and Gill disappoint
The India captain, Shubman Gill, and Rohit Sharma also failed with the bat as he duo recorded scores of 10 and 8, respectively, after Australia put India into bat in the first ODI.
Rohit lost his wicket to Josh Hazlewood while Gill was strangled down the legside off the bowling of Nathan Ellis.
Kohli also spoke about his fondness for Australia, saying he respects how the crowd knows their cricket and is appreciative of everyone who does well Down Under.
“They really appreciate you standing up and playing that kind of cricket. And if you just go out there and play competitive cricket, you will realise how good you can be as a cricketer and you will realise over a long period of time that that really helped you shape your whole makeup and your mental setup as a player,” said Kohli.
“So, as I said, I have nothing but gratitude for having experienced all those moments here and the crowd being at me regularly really brought out the best from me. And I had no option but to turn up being 120% or there was no chance I was going to perform in this country and in those hostile conditions. So, yeah, I've had really good times here as a cricketer,” he added.
