The 36-year-old started training for the upcoming three-match ODI series against Australia in what is being seen as a trial run to confirm if the format’s leading, still active, run scorer still has the legs for another World Cup cycle.

AB de Villiers, Kohli’s long time batting partner at RCB and good friend, has no doubt that his friend has the 2027 ODI World Cup in sight.

“He’s sort of at a place now where he has to compartmentalise and prioritise what is important to him as a player. The 2027 World Cup comes to mind,” de Villiers told HT in an interview on the sidelines of promoting a new format in cricket ‘Test Twenty’ for young talent aged 13-19. “We all know how special it would be for Virat to lift the World Cup alongside Rohit and a few of his friends. I think all his focus is on that now.”

Kohli’s sense of purpose when walking out at No.3, setting the tempo for a tall total, his ability to revel under pressure and chase down targets has earned him the right to be ranked among the very best batters to have played 50-over cricket.

If his future is a talking point, it’s only because having called it quits from Test cricket on the back of his T20I retirement, last year, this is now the only format he plays.

Having batted with authority for the first half of his Test career, many felt Kohli could have fought his way out of technical troubles that plagued his progress towards the end. A Test average of 46.8, many felt was below par for someone who looked destined for much bigger things. His former RCB-teammate understands Kohli’s decision.

“He’s not in his 20s anymore. He’s served the country more than well over the years with flying colours. I think it was workload management to a certain extent,” he said. “Also, obviously, I think mental fatigue might have played a role as well. He’s got a family now. So, lots of things to consider. He’s made up his mind. I’m just happy for him that he is still enjoying it and got the opportunity to play competitively, hopefully for quite a few years to come.”

In the past, De Villiers would often say that despite his ability to target unique scoring regions, he couldn’t bat in the V as well as Kohli. Towards the backend, Kohli’s strength became his weakness with bowlers constantly preying on his weakness outside his off stump.

“That is the beauty of sport. Every few years, a new generation of players comes through and they come with a whole new skill set. I just think the bowling got a bit better and Virat had different challenges to face,” he said.

“No one is perfect and everyone’s got an area of weakness. It shows you how strong Virat is mentally and has been over the years. I don’t think that little weakness outside off has ever left him. He’s managed to find a way to work through it through character and resilience.

To find a way through tough periods is exactly what makes Virat so special.”

De Villiers is hopeful that Kohli can be a master of his own destiny.

“I don’t think any player, especially of Virat’s calibre should be put in a corner where they feel like they have to decide. That decision (retirement) almost is a natural process,” the South African batting great said. “I went through a very similar phase in my career where I felt the pressure of having to pick and choose. But it should never come down to that. A player knows his body, his mind and the mental state that he finds himself in towards the back end of his career. I think a player like Virat has earned the right to do exactly what he feels is best for him and his country.”