In Virat Kohli We Trust: Shubman Gill Backs Veteran Batter as India Begin World Cup Preparations

India captain Shubman Gill has no plans to overcomplicate things when it comes to Virat Kohli.

As India begin building towards the 2027 ODI World Cup, Gill is more than willing to give the veteran batter the freedom to play on his own terms—and Kohli is giving the captain plenty of reasons to trust him.

Kohli produced another spectacular ODI performance on Sunday, September 27, smashing an unbeaten 139 off 88 balls against the West Indies in Thiruvananthapuram. His innings, featuring 10 fours and nine sixes, powered India to a seven-wicket victory as they chased down 296 with 50 balls to spare.

It was Kohli’s fourth ODI century in his last 11 innings and another indication of the aggressive version of his batting that has emerged in recent months.

Rather than taking his time before accelerating, Kohli has increasingly looked to impose himself early. Against the West Indies, he again showed that he can combine control with sustained aggression.

For Gill, there is little reason to interfere.

“Someone like him, who has won so many games for the country. Who has done it over and over again, you just let him play however he wants to play on the day because when he plays well, he can win matches for you,” Gill said after India’s win in the first ODI.

‘I had to unlock a new version’

Kohli himself acknowledged that his batting has evolved.

The 37-year-old said he has challenged himself to raise his tempo and discover another dimension to his game at this stage of his career.

“I’ve got a challenge at this stage of my career to kind of up the ante and play a gear or two higher, and yeah, that was exciting for me to work on,” Kohli said.

“Again, it excites you when you have to unlock a new version at this stage of your career, which will eventually help any team that you play for, be it playing for India or in the IPL.”

That new approach was evident in Thiruvananthapuram.

Kohli reached his fifty from 40 balls before shifting gears dramatically. He eventually finished unbeaten on 139 from 88 deliveries, striking at more than 157.

His 151-run partnership with Gill provided the platform for the chase. Gill scored 110 from 108 balls, but Kohli’s late assault took the game away from the West Indies.

Another landmark-filled Kohli innings

The century added another collection of milestones to Kohli’s remarkable ODI career.

It was his 25th century in a successful ODI chase, extending his lead over Sachin Tendulkar, who had 14 such hundreds.

Kohli also became only the second batter after Tendulkar to cross 15,000 ODI runs, reaching the landmark in 303 innings—the fastest to do so.

His hundred took him level with Sunil Gavaskar for the most international centuries against the West Indies, with both having 13. He also equalled his own record for most ODI centuries against a single opponent, having now scored 10 against both the West Indies and Sri Lanka.

Kohli further moved past Tendulkar to become the highest ODI run-scorer in India, taking his tally to 7,006 runs in 131 matches at home.

He also reached 200 ODI sixes and equalled Tendulkar’s record of 60 List A centuries.

Yet the numbers were only part of the story.

The biggest talking point was the manner in which Kohli constructed his innings. After a measured start, he steadily increased the tempo before launching an attack that the West Indies bowling unit could not contain.

Kohli attributed the freedom in his batting partly to his mindset and physical preparation.

“It’s really helped me a lot to play with a free mind, and I think that’s what’s working for me,” he said.

For him, however, mental freedom starts with physical fitness.

“But I think to follow a free mind, you need a fit body. So for me it works the other way around. I stay physically fit and then I’m able to visualise the game in the way that I want to play.”

Gill’s bigger World Cup puzzle

While Kohli’s form is encouraging for India, Gill’s focus extends beyond the top order.

With the 2027 World Cup still ahead, India have time to experiment with combinations and identify the depth they will need across a long tournament.

The first ODI offered plenty of positives at the top. Rohit Sharma provided a brisk start before Gill and Kohli took control with their 151-run partnership.

But Gill wants India to develop a batting line-up that can go deeper.

“Ideally yes. We would want an 8th batting option. Someone who can contribute 25-30 runs,” Gill said.

“We have seen many times, we had been in situations before where we have been in good positions where we were not able to get scores we wanted. So number 8 becomes a crucial position for us. But we are open to trying different combinations and seeing what works for us.”

For now, though, Gill appears content to leave one part of India’s batting equation untouched.

Kohli is scoring heavily, attacking earlier and finding a new rhythm in ODI cricket. With the 2027 World Cup still some distance away, India’s captain is choosing trust over interference.

And for a player with Kohli’s record, Gill’s message is simple: keep doing what works.