From time to time, Kohli’s departure from Test cricket has sparked a debate among fans and analysts about his staying till the 2027 World Cup. The recent IND vs NZ series and the previous tours have more than hinted at his not only staying but also being a crucial player for the team next year and later. His recent statistics say all that. In the first game, he made 93 not out, followed by his 85th international hundred in Indore. 29th Ton While Chasing for Virat Kohli: That 93 turned out to be a winning cause for India, whereas the match he was not batting in became a bad day for Team India. On the other side of the coin, Sunday saw Virat Kohli score his 29th century in chasing and that is the clinching evidence that this Indian ODI unit is not yet whole without him. To further ease his hundreds in chases he now has 25 centuries in winning run chases (the latest one is not counted). Unmatched and outstanding ODI numbers: Even without mentioning his massive participation in the run chase in the IND vs NZ 3rd ODI, we can still look at his ODI statistics more closely. He has played 53 matches against Australia and scored an average of 53 with 8 hundreds. The statistics against England show an average of 41 with 3 centuries. When playing New Zealand, he has recorded 36 games, almost 1900 runs with an average of 60, and 7 tons. Vs Pakistan, he scored 778 runs in 17 matches with an average of 60, including 4 centuries. Also Read | IND vs NZ 3rd ODI: Why Harshit Rana Has Become India’s Go-To Bowler Against Left-Handers Knowing an average of 65 in 2025 and a remarkable average above 100 in 2026, nobody even needs to raise the question whether he\'s in the next World Cup. The fact is very clear. He continues as the No. 1 batsman globally, and he can leave the arena only when he thinks the time is right.