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Virat Kohli and his future with the Indian national cricket team are once again in the headlines amid his heroics in the ongoing Indian Premier League 2026 (IPL 2026). Virat Kohli recently talked about his future in international cricket and his dream of playing in the 2027 ICC World Cup.
Soon after Kohli’s statement, former Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin felt that a player like Kohli has already done everything possible for the national team and he does not need to prove himself again and again.
Virat Kohli wants trust and clarity from team management regarding India’s future
Recently, while speaking on the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) podcast, Virat Kohli said that he still loves playing cricket and is ready to contribute to the Indian team.
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But at the same time he also wants clarity and confidence from the team management regarding his role. The former India captain pointed out that it becomes difficult for any player when opinions change after every few matches.
He wants to feel valued and worthy by the team management to continue playing for India. The right-handed batsman also admitted his goal of playing in the 2027 ICC World Cup.
Fans surprised by Kohli’s powerful statement!
Kohli had said on the RCB Podcast: “My vision is very clear. If I can add value to the environment that I am a part of, and the environment feels that I can add value, then I will be looked at. If I am made to feel like I need to prove my worth and my value, then I don’t belong in that place.”
He added, “If you walk into a workplace and people say they have confidence in your abilities and a week later they start questioning the way you do your job, it’s like, why? Either tell me on the first day I’m not good enough or I’m not needed, or but if you’ve said I’m good enough and you’re not thinking otherwise, then shut up.”
Ravichandran Ashwin says Virat Kohli has nothing left to prove
Now reacting to Kohli’s statement, Ashwin said in strong words that after winning matches for India for so many years, the former captain has nothing left to prove to anyone.
“If Virat Kohli is saying that he doesn’t need to prove his worth to anyone, then he is right. He has nothing left to prove to anyone. That was my thought process too,” Ravichandran Ashwin said in a video posted on YouTube.
Who do I have to prove anything to? After playing for so many years and winning so many games for India, to whom does he still need to prove himself?”
Ashwin supports Virat Kohli’s Test retirement statement:
He said, “I don’t have to prove my work to anyone” and that’s absolutely true. Why, friend? I also felt the same way. There was nothing left to prove. After playing for so many people, to whom does he need to prove himself? pic.twitter.com/iPiVfdjCuR
– Tejash (@Tejashyyyyy) 16 May 2026
Also read: How Sourav Ganguly brought MS Dhoni into the Indian team quickly?
It is noteworthy that Virat Kohli has already retired from Test and T20 cricket. Talking about his ODI career, the iconic batsman is one of the greatest batsmen in the format. Kohli has scored 14,797 runs in 311 ODI matches with 54 centuries and an average of around 59.
Kohli, who has already scored 400+ runs, will be seen in action on May 17 when RCB takes on struggling Punjab Kings (PBKS) in their crucial IPL 2026 match in Dharamshala. The defending champions will aim to seal a playoff berth with a win over PBKS on Sunday.