'The man is serious for World Cup': Dinesh Karthik reveals how Virat Kohli practiced in London for Australia series

Virat Kohli trained hard for Australia ODI series tells Dinesh Karthik. (AP Photo)

Even before Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma could even face a single ball for India after a seven-month break, the subject of their retirement in ODI cricket, most notably, the question of whether they would be playing in the next World Cup has been dominating the headlines.

At the moment, Rohit is ranked third and Kohli fifth in the ICC ODI rankings. Together, they have scored nearly 26,000 runs in ODIs and led India to numerous wins from the top of the lineup. In a normal situation, such feats would be enough to ensure their presence in any playing XI. But with the next ODI World Cup still a couple of years away, one can only speculate. At that time, Rohit will be 40 and Kohli 39 and given the rise of the new talents in India, it won’t be absurd to wonder if the duo will still have a place in the team. Also, the question remains whether they plan to keep playing that long considering that both have already retired from the other two formats.

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However, Karthik doesn’t have any such doubts about Kohli’s determination. He is convinced that the ex-India captain is really going to take the Indian jersey in the 2027 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup and, as always, deliver when it counts the most.

While talking on Instagram, Karthik gave a sneak peek into Kohli's rigorous training during his break from competitive cricket, and said that even though he was away from the game, he didn't take a break from his training.

“He was training in London during this big break that he has taken after a long time in his life,” Karthik said. “I also know very well that he was easily practising cricket, two to three sessions a week.”

Dinesh Karthik said

- "Virat Kohli is keen to play the 2027 World Cup, he is practicing 2-3 sessions a weak in London." pic.twitter.com/jShFOwGnfg

— Virat Kohli Fan Club (@Trend_VKohli) October 15, 2025

Karthik emphasized that the amount of work put in by Kohli shows that the cricketer is very much aware of the fact that he needs to be in top form if he wants to participate in the next World Cup which will take place in South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe in 2027.

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“That definitely shows the man is serious about wanting to take part in this World Cup,” Karthik supplemented.

The player also talked about how Kohli is able to keep his cool during tough times and that his presence reassures the rest of the team and thus, helps in the smooth running of the dressing room Karthik further added.

“And if he is there, then I don’t think there is any tension, as per me, for the reason that he is well aware of what is required to perform under pressure. And he has been doing it, over and over again. And I very much believe that he will do it again.”, Karthik stated.

Kohli’s appearances in current ODI matches, along with his rigorous training away from the field, are clear signs of his determination to be a part of the format and, thus, lead the team in the World Cup 2027 which is still more than two years off. As India is currently a white-ball team in transition, players like Kohli and Rohit Sharma should be the ones taking the main responsibilities to mentor the youth.