Virat Kohli ordered to regain form quickly to remain in ICC ODI World Cup 2027 plans

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri stated that Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma cannot relax if they want to remain in contention for the ICC ODI World Cup 2027 in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia. Shastri urged Kohli to quickly regain form, given the intense competition for spots in India’s white-ball squads.

Virat has had an illustrious career for India in ODIs. Selectors are likely to focus on current form and performance when deciding his place in the squad. While fitness is unlikely to be an issue, the 36-year-old has been under pressure after consecutive ducks in the first two ODIs of the ongoing series in Australia.

Virat Kohli Will Have To Get Some Form Pretty Quickly - Ravi Shastri

Virat Kohli returned to international cricket after a seven-month break. He was expected to deliver, especially against a familiar opponent like Australia. However, the batter was dismissed for a duck by Mitchell Starc in Perth, and in the second ODI in Adelaide, he fell again for a duck to Xavier Bartlett.

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With only the Sydney ODI left in the series on Saturday, Ravi Shastri said that Virat needs to regain form. Speaking to Fox Sports after India’s innings on Thursday, Shastri noted that the next ODI World Cup is still a long way off, but Kohli and Rohit Sharma cannot afford to relax.

“He’ll have to get some form pretty quickly,” Shastri said. "The competition for places is such in India in white-ball cricket, no one is going to relax, whether it’s Virat or Rohit or anyone in the team."

It It Not Going to Be Easy - Ravi Shastri on Virat Kohli's Future

Indian cricket has entered a transition phase over the past seven months, where no player, including Virat Kohli, is guaranteed a spot across formats. In the ODI setup, young talents like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, and Abhishek Sharma are providing stiff competition.

Ravi Shastri stated that Kohli would be disappointed by consecutive ducks. He also emphasized that the intense competition in the current team makes maintaining a place far from easy.

“It isn’t going to be easy; there is competition. He has missed out again today; he was a little tentative with his footwork. It does not happen often; his record in one-day cricket is phenomenal, so for him to get two ducks on the trot, he will be disappointed," Shastri said.

Virat Kohli Faces Scrutiny After Consecutive Ducks Despite Stellar ODI Record

Virat Kohli was the second-highest run-getter for India in the ICC 2025 Champions Trophy win in March. While his duck in the first match was seen as a minor lapse, a second consecutive duck surprised many and sparked speculation about his future.

Kohli became joint-second for the most ducks by an Indian batter in international cricket. Fans will be watching closely as he aims to avoid a third consecutive duck in the final ODI in Sydney on Saturday, October 25.

The last time he recorded back-to-back zeroes in top-level cricket was during the IPL 2022 for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). Kohli remains one of the most successful ODI batters ever, amassing over 14,000 runs at an average of 57.41, including a record 51 centuries.

Also read: "Farewell match tha": Gautam Gambhir, Rohit Sharma's shocking chat after IND vs AUS 2nd ODI breaks internet