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South African cricketing legend AB de Villiers predicted that Virat Kohli has several strong years of cricket left in him, and the 2027 ODI World Cup will be a fitting finale to his illustrious ODI career. Virat, who already announced his retirement from Tests and T20Is, recently featured in a three-match ODI series against Australia, where he got out on ducks in the first two clashes and played a match-winning, unbeaten 74-run knock that helped India to seal a nine-wicket win in the dead rubber clash.
AB de Villiers on Kohli's criticism
Notably, Kohli faced a lot of criticism after getting out on double ducks in the first two ODIs of the series with some questioning his ability to remain a key figure heading into the 2027 World Cup. De Villiers backed his former RCB teammate, stated that Kohli has changed the game forever and deserves unwavering support regardless of how he chooses to shape the remainder of his illustrious career.
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“I want to remind you guys that’s the kind of player you want to celebrate. Allow him to find his balance in life towards the backend of his career. Just celebrate him. He has changed the game forever. He deserves a bit of a ‘thank’, and hopefully you play for another five years; if you don’t, we are right behind you," ABD said.
AB de Villiers on Virat Kohli's cricketing future
AB de Villiers, who shares a very good bond with Kohli, believes that the batting great might be seen featuring in the Indian Premier League (IPL) after announcing his international retirement.
“In my opinion, the 2027 World Cup will be his final go at the cherry on the cake on a finish to his career. The IPL is a different story. We might see him go for three or four or maybe even five years. It does not take a lot out of you, even if it is a very intense tournament. You can prepare for those two to three months, but a World Cup is a four-year cycle. Really big build up and takes a lot out of the body and the system and the space that you try to find yourself in, family time. We have heard Virat speak often about how important that is for him," said De Villiers on Youtube channel.
Virat Kohli's upcoming outing
Kohli will now be seen in action in a three-match ODI series against South Africa, which is scheduled to start from November 30, and the series opener will take place in Ranchi.
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