‘Be quiet and let me play,’ Virat Kohli’s cheeky riposte to Gambhir and Agarkar

Virat Kohli has delivered a harsh reminder to Gautam Gambhir and Ajit Agarkar, the custodians of Indian cricket, of his worthiness, which does not need re-evaluation.

Kohli has made it clear that he is available for the ODI World Cup in 2027 but wants to be sure that he is part of the right environment, which could be seen as a subtle dig at the management led by head coach Gambhir and chief selector Agarkar.

“I am always ready because that's my daily life,” Kohli said in a podcast for his IPL franchise, Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

Former captains Kohli and Rohit Sharma retired from Tests and T20Is, leaving them available for selection in the ODI format. However, head coach Gambhir has been largely non-committal on the future of the two superstars.

“You know, I work out, we eat well at home. It is because I like living that way. It is not only to play cricket. So that is where I am. I mean, this 27 (2027 World Cup) chat and all that...I've been asked so many times, 'do you want to play 27?'.

“I know the answer. Like, why would I leave my home, you know, get my stuff over and be like, I don't know what I want. Of course, if I'm playing, I want to play cricket. I want to carry on. Playing a World Cup for India is amazing. But as I said, the value has to be two sides,” Kohli said.

“My perspective is very clear. If I can add value to the environment that I am part of, and the environment feels that I can add value, I will be seen. If I am made to feel like I need to prove my worth and my value, I am not in that space."

It goes without saying that Virat Kohli has nothing left to prove in the cricket world. He is the leading active run-getter (28,215 runs) in international cricket and second in the all-time list, only behind the incomparable Sachin Tendulkar (34,357).

He was an integral part of the Indian teams that won two World Cups and as many Champions Trophy titles. Despite his accomplishments, the 37-year-old said he remains focused and ready to deliver whenever summoned. “I am being honest to my preparations, I am being honest to how I approach the game. I put my head down, I work hard. When I arrive to play, I work as hard if not harder than anyone else and I play the game in the right way.

“The moment I feel like people are trying to complicate it for me and be like 'oh this and that'. Either be clear and honest and upfront or be quiet and let me play. If you go to a workplace and people say we believe in your abilities and a week later they start questioning the way you operate, it's like, why?

“Either tell me on day one that I am not good enough or I am not needed, but if you have said that I am good enough and that we are not thinking otherwise, then be quiet. If you start operating up and down because of results, you can never have a consistent stance.”