New Delhi, 27 September (H.S.): India’s star batter Virat Kohli, who has produced several memorable innings during successful run chases in ODI cricket, is now looking to take his illustrious career to a fitting pinnacle. Kohli has said his dream is to help India win the 2027 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup final with a match-winning performance with the bat.

Speaking to JioStar, Kohli said he wants to win as many matches as possible for India in the World Cup. He said, “I have always been the kind of player who wants to be the player who wins every match for the team. That is how I have been, and that will never leave me.”

The veteran batter said, “If I can help the team win 60-70 per cent of the matches, that would be fantastic. My dream is to play a match-winning innings in the final and finish the match.”

Virat Kohli said that winning the World Cup trophy with the team is a bigger objective for him than individual achievements. He said, “If that happens, it will be great. If it does not happen but we win the World Cup, I will be equally happy.”

At 37, Kohli is the second-highest run-scorer in the history of the men’s Cricket World Cup. He produced a spectacular performance in the previous World Cup, scoring 765 runs. However, India finished runners-up after losing to Australia in the final on home soil.

Currently part of India’s ODI squad for the series against the West Indies, Kohli had recently indicated that the 2027 Men’s Cricket World Cup could be his final World Cup.

Kohli said this would be the last time he played in a World Cup, making winning the trophy the most important objective. He said, “If I get the opportunity to do that, as a batter, there is nothing more satisfying than standing at the crease and doing it. You see yourself in a situation where you are pulling the team out of a difficult situation. That is what motivates us—to be the player who makes an impact. When the circumstances are tough, you see yourself getting the team out of trouble. That is what keeps you prepared for the contest. So, I do not want to lose that competitive spirit.”

Having retired from T20 internationals and Test cricket, Kohli now plays only ODI cricket. He has 85 international centuries to his name, including 54 in ODIs. He has scored 14,941 runs in 314 ODIs and is just 59 runs short of reaching 15,000 ODI runs. He is currently part of the Indian squad for the three-match ODI series against the West Indies, which began on Sunday.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar