Former India batsman Dinesh Karthik has reckoned that Virat Kohli is determined to represent India in the 2027 Men’s Cricket World Cup and expressed confidence that the former skipper will continue to thrive under pressure.
Kohli is gearing up for his first stint with the Indian national team on the tough ODI tour of Australia, which begins with three matches in Perth this Sunday. The venue brings mixed memories for the star batsman: he opened the Border-Gavaskar Trophy tour with a century in Perth last year, but the series thinned out later and ended in one of his poorest comebacks in the overseas competition.
in May Kohli announced his retirement from the Test formatalongside longtime teammate Rohit Sharma. While both are returning after months out of competitive cricket, questions remain over their futures in the ODI setup, especially with Shubman Gill taking over as India’s captain for 50s after Australia.
Kohli also faced scrutiny for entering the series without warm-up matches. Taking to Instagram, Karthik revealed that the star batsman has been quietly and consistently working on his game during the break, including specialized training in London.
“He was training in London during this big gap that he had after a long time in his life,” Karthik said. “And I also know that he practiced cricket easily, two to three lessons a week.
Karthik believes Kohli’s disciplined training during the break is a clear indication of his intent and determination to remain at the highest level – and prepare for the next ODI World Cup, which is scheduled to take place in South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe in 2027.
“That tells you that the man is serious about playing this World Cup,” added Karthik.
Highlighting Kohli’s proven ability to perform in high-pressure situations, Karthik said the former captain’s mere presence brings stability and confidence to the team.
“And if he’s around, there’s no tension, I think, because he knows what it means to perform under pressure. And he’s done it time and time again. And I’m very sure he’ll do it again,” Karthik said.
India will begin their tour with three ODIs in Perth, Adelaide and Sydney, followed by five T20Is, which the senior stalwarts will skip. Both Kohli and Rohit are expected to return later in December for the three ODIs against South Africa.
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Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
October 16, 2025
