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Virat Kohli's first coach, Rajkumar Sharma, says the star batsman won't hang up his boots after the 2027 ODI World Cup.

Most fans assume senior players like Kohli and Rohit Sharma will retire once the tournament ends.

But Kohli, given his fitness and current form, may have other plans.

The 2027 World Cup Won't Be Kohli's Final Game for India
Ask most Indian cricket fans, and they'll tell you the same thing: the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia will likely be the last time Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma wear the India blue. It's a reasonable assumption: Rohit will be 40 by then, and Kohli will be closing in on 39.

But Kohli may not be ready to walk away just yet. The Delhi batsman now plays only ODIs for India, having retired from T20Is after the 2024 World Cup triumph and from Tests in May 2025.

And Rajkumar Sharma, the Dronacharya award-winning coach widely credited as Kohli's first mentor, has revealed that Kohli has hinted at continuing to play for India beyond the 2027 World Cup.

Is Kohli Chasing Sachin Tendulkar's 100 Centuries?
Kohli has already cemented his place as one of the greatest ODI batsmen of all time, if not the greatest. He has 15,190 ODI runs, second only to Sachin Tendulkar's 18,426. But he has already surpassed Sachin's record of 49 ODI centuries, currently sitting on 55, and he's done it at a better average (58.64 compared to Sachin's 44.83).

If Kohli keeps playing past the 2027 World Cup, he could be eyeing the 2029 ICC Champions Trophy, which will be held in India. That would give him a realistic shot at Sachin's overall record of 100 international centuries. Kohli currently has 86, just 15 short of the landmark.

His Recent ODI Form Makes a Strong Case
Kohli has been in dream touch in ODIs over the past year or two. With his focus narrowed to a single format, the star batsman seems to have found a second wind late in his career. The struggles outside the off stump that plagued him in Tests appear to be behind him, and he has transformed into a pure ODI specialist.

Since 2025, Kohli has averaged over 63 in ODIs, piling up 1,284 runs with five centuries along the way. If he maintains this kind of form for another two or three years, the magical 100-century mark is well within reach.