Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin (Picture: X)
Ravichandran Ashwin has thrown back his support Virat Kohli The former India captain had made scathing remarks about not consistently proving his worth in the Indian team setup. Speaking on Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s official podcast, Kohli spoke about his current outlook on international cricket, the team environment and his possible participation in the 2027 ODI World Cup.Kohli made it clear that he still enjoys playing cricket and remains open to participating in the 2027 World Cup, but does not want uncertainty or mixed signals surrounding his place in the team.“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’ll be seen. If I’m made to feel like I need to prove my value and my worth, I’m not in that place,” Kohli said.“If you walk into a workplace and people say they believe in your abilities and a week later they start questioning the way you work, why is that?” he said.Kohli added that selection decisions should not be swayed purely based on short-term results.“Either tell me on day one that I’m not good enough or there’s no need to. But if you’ve said I’m good enough and you don’t think otherwise, shut up,” he added.Reacting to Kohli’s comments, Ashwin said that the former India captain has already achieved a lot in international cricket and now he does not need to prove himself to anyone.“If Virat Kohli is saying he doesn’t need to prove his worth to anyone, then he is right. He has nothing left to prove to anyone. My thought process was the same. Who do I have to prove anything to? After playing for so many years and winning so many games for India, who does he still need to prove?” Ashwin added.Kohli is one of the greatest ODI batsmen in cricket history, having scored 14,797 runs in 311 matches at an average of 58.71, including 54 centuries. While he has already retired from T20I and Test cricket, the 2027 ODI World Cup could potentially be the last major chapter of his illustrious international career.
