Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin (Image: X)
Ravichandran Ashwin has thrown his support behind Virat Kohli after the former India captain made strong remarks about not wanting to constantly prove his worth in the Indian team line-up. In the official podcast of Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Kohli opened up about his current outlook on international cricket, the team environment and his possible participation in the 2027 ODI World Cup.Kohli has made it clear that while he still enjoys playing cricket and remains open to participating in the 2027 World Cup, he does not want uncertainty or mixed signals surrounding his place in the team.“My view is very clear. If I can add value to the environment I am a part of and the environment feels I can add value, I will be seen. If I feel I need to prove my value and my value, I am not in that space,” Kohli said.“If you go into the workplace and people say they believe in your abilities, and a week later they start asking how you’re doing, it’s like why?” he said.Kohli further added that selection decisions should not fluctuate purely based on short-term results.“Either tell me on the first day that I’m not good enough or I don’t need to. But if you said I’m good enough and you don’t think otherwise, then shut up,” he added.Reacting to Kohli’s comments, Ashwin said that the former Indian captain has already achieved enough in international cricket and no longer needs to prove himself to anyone.“If Virat Kohli says 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 also the same. Who do I have to prove anything to? After so many years of playing and winning so many games for India, who else does he have to prove?” added Ashwin.Kohli remains one of the greatest ODI batsmen in cricket history with 14,797 runs in 311 matches at an average of 58.71, including 54 centuries. Although he has already retired from T20Is and Test cricket, the 2027 ODI World Cup could potentially be the last major chapter of his illustrious international career.
