Virat Kohli will return to competitive cricket for the first time since the ICC Champions Trophy in February in Australia.
As Virat Kohli returns to international cricket after a long break of eight months, two sets of questions arise: Would Virat Kohli play the 2027 World Cup and Should Virat Kohli play the 2027 World Cup? The first question seems legitimate as Kohli has not played any competitive cricket and enters the Indian team for the Australia series on the merit of his past form, not his current form. BCCI selection committee chairman Ajit Agarkar took the first step by removing Rohit Sharma from the captaincy and told the media that the two superstars are non-committal about their future and participation in the 2027 World Championship. However, Kohli’s close friend and coach of Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL, Dinesh Karthik, has lifted the lid on Kohli’s thought process.
Is Kohli ready to play the 2027 World Cup in South Africa in two years? The answer is absolutely yes.
“He is looking forward to playing the World Cup. In London, he was training during this big layoff that he had after a long period of his career. And I also know that he was easily practicing cricket two to three sessions a week. Now that tells you that this man is serious about playing the World Cup. And if he is there, there is no tension, in my opinion, because he knows what it takes to play under pressure. He has done it time and time again, and I am very sure he would do that again, “ Dinesh Karthik said in an Instagram post.
Why is Kohli important for India in South Africa?
Wherever he plays, Kohli will always be crucial to India’s ODI aspirations. But in South Africa, no one would be as crucial as him. Kohli has a batting average of 76.38 in South Africa. With pitches likely to bounce and carry, one would want their best ODI batter to be available. In the last ODI series, Kohli averaged 38.66 in three innings, including two fifties. In 2018, Kohli smashed three hundreds in six innings, at an average of 186.00. Therefore, if India is looking to win back the trophy, they would need Kohli.
“If you see how India has been playing for a while now, he is the fulcrum. He is the most important glue of the team around which everyone plays. People like Gill, Rohit, Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul all play attacking cricket because they know there is a Virat Kohli to absorb the pressure. In case things go wrong, he will take care of it from one side. The World Cup is happening. will play in October-November. Having been part of the SA20, I can tell you that this is the start of their summer. The locations will therefore be slightly spicy. There will be something for fast bowlers. It will still be hard and bouncy. He knows what it takes to handle pressure. He is the master of the hunt. » said Karthik.
Virat Kohli’s problem
With Dinesh Karthik making a valid argument that Kohli’s experience would be crucial, will he be ready to take on another challenge in South Africa? Even if no one questions his skills, it remains a question of preparation. Without competitive cricket for eight months, Kohli is bound to be rusty in Australia. And even though he will play all three matches in the IND vs AUS ODI series, then the next three against South Africa after a month’s break, and then against New Zealand after another month’s gap, he will have to start from scratch. The reason is that he has already opted out of two formats (Test and T20I).
While Kohli will play the IPL 2026, there will be another long gap between the two ODI series. After the New Zealand series in January, India’s next ODI mission would take place in July. Therefore, the interim situation could have a negative impact on Kohli’s form and thus place himself in the Indian side of the ODI.
Ajit Agarkar has already hinted that Kohli should play the Vijay Hazare Trophy. If Kohli doesn’t play the domestic one-day matches and the following ODI series doesn’t go well, it would be difficult for Agarkar to keep his competitions away and not try to have replacements in Tilak Varma and Sanju Samson.
“I think we made it clear a few years ago that whenever the guys are available, they should play domestic cricket. That’s the only way to stay sharp and play cricket, if you have a long enough break. Whether that’s possible with the international cricket you play or not, only time will tell. But if the guys are free, I mean, they should play domestic cricket,” » said Agarkar.
Either way, the IND vs AUS ODI series will give us a better understanding of where Kohli stands after the long break. If he continues to score runs in ODIs, it is only great for Indian cricket.
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