Ravichandran Ashwin backs Virat Kohli's stance on proving value

Ravichandran Ashwin has thrown his support behind Virat Kohli after the former India captain made strong remarks about not wanting to constantly prove his value within the Indian team setup.

Speaking on Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s official podcast, Kohli opened up about his current outlook towards international cricket, team environment and his possible participation in the 2027 ODI World Cup.

Kohli made it clear that while he still enjoys playing cricket and remains open to featuring in the 2027 World Cup, he does not want uncertainty or mixed signals surrounding his place in the team.

“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,” Kohli said.

“If you go to a workplace and people say they believe in your abilities and a week later they start questioning the way you operate, it’s like why?” he said.

Kohli further added that selection decisions should not fluctuate purely based on short-term results.

“Either tell me on day one that I am not good enough or not needed. But if you have said I am good enough and you are not thinking otherwise, then be quiet,” he added.

Reacting to Kohli’s comments, Ashwin said the former India captain has already achieved enough in international cricket and no longer needs to prove himself to anyone.

“If Virat Kohli is saying that he doesn’t need to prove his worth to anyone, then he is right. There’s nothing left for him to prove to anybody. My thought process was the same too. Who do I even have to prove anything to? After playing for so many years and winning many games for India, who does he still need to prove to?” Ashwin added.

Kohli remains one of the greatest ODI batters in cricket history, with 14,797 runs in 311 matches at an average of 58.71, including 54 centuries.

While he has already retired from T20Is and Test cricket, the 2027 ODI World Cup could potentially become the final major chapter of his illustrious international career.