Virat Kohli, Gautam Gambhir
Virat Kohli He has said that he does not want things to be “complicated” around his place in the Indian team and made it clear that if he is constantly made to prove his worth, that environment is not “meaningful” to him.Speaking on Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s podcast, Kohli said he still loves playing cricket and is interested in playing in the 2027 ODI World Cup, but only if it is clear from both sides.“I’m always ready because it’s my daily life. You know, I exercise, we eat well at home. It’s because I like to live like this. Not just playing cricket, that’s why I’m there. I mean, it’s 27 (2027 World Cup) chats and all that… Asked several times, ‘Do you want to play 27?’, he said.“I know the answer. Like, why would I leave my house, you know, finish my things and be like that, I don’t know what I want. Of course, if I’m playing, I want to play cricket. I want to continue. It’s amazing for India to play the World Cup. But like I said, the value has to be two-way,” he added.Kohli said his approach to the game is simple and honest.“My vision is very clear. If I can add value to the environment I’m a part of, and the environment feels I can add value, then I will be seen. If I’m made to feel that I need to prove my value and my worth, I’m not in that place,” Kohli said.The 37-year-old now only plays one-day cricket for India after retiring from T20 Internationals in 2024 and Test cricket in 2025. Due to playing fewer ODIs, his exposure for India has been limited.Kohli’s next ODI series against England is expected to be played from July 14 to July 19. India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir There is no clear answer yet about the future of Kohli and Rohit Sharma in ODI cricket.Kohli said that he is fully preparing for the game.“I’m honest with my preparations, I’m honest with how I approach the game. I keep my head down, I work hard. When I get to play, I work as hard if not harder than anyone else and I play the game the right way,” he said.He also spoke about his determination on the field.“I will do it because I prepare accordingly,” he said. I am ready to field 50 overs. After working like this, if I have to prove my worth, that’s not the place for me.Kohli also recalled a return to the Vijay Hazare Trophy after almost two decades during the 2025-26 season. He played two matches for Delhi, scoring a century in one of them and becoming the fastest List A batsman to reach 16,000 runs.“I was very clear in my mind that I’m not going to prove anything to anyone there. I’m going to play there because I love playing the game. That’s how I played Vijay Hazare. It was amazing.“I thought I’ve been playing for so long, do I have the guts? But the moment my intention changed to ‘I want to play because I love the game’, I just loved batting. I felt like a kid again. I was like it’s not about anybody, it’s about me and the game,” he said.Kohli also said that he does not like the uncertainty surrounding the selection and role definition.“The moment I feel like people are trying to complicate it for me and be like, ‘Oh this and that.’ Either be open and honest and upfront or shut up and let me play. If you walk into a workplace and people say we have confidence in your abilities and a week later they start questioning the way you work, why is that?” he said.“Either tell me on day one that I’m not good enough or I don’t need to but if you’ve said I’m good enough and we’re not thinking otherwise, then shut up. If you start working up and down because of results, you can never have a consistent position,” he added.
