Tag: Virat Kohli

PERTH: India batting maestro Virat Kohli return to international cricket was cut short by Australia ace pacer Mitchell Starc, who bowled a terrific delivery to send the right-hander back for a duck in the first ODI here on Sunday.

After opting to bat first, India did not have the best of a start as returning Rohit Sharma perished for just eight from 14 balls.

As a result, the visitors were 13-1 at the end of the fourth over with Virat Kohli coming at his long-occupied No. 3 spot.

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The right-hander’s much-awaited return was highly anticipated; however, he could not open his account after playing eight deliveries and was caught at backward point.

Notably, this was Virat Kohli’s first duck on Australian soil in 65 matches played from 2011 to 2025. Overall, the right-hander has scored 3616 runs at a stellar average of 51.65 with 11 centuries and 19 fifties to his name.

Yet, India set Australia a 137-run target in a match reduced to 26 overs per side, courtesy of KL Rahul and Axar Patel’s 39-run stand, which lifted the visitors out of trouble.

Rahul made 38 from 31 balls with the aid of two sixes and two fours, whereas Patel struck three fours on his way to 31 from 38 balls.

For Australia, Matthew Kuhnemann, Mitchell Owen, and Josh Hazlewood scalped two wickets each.

Playing XIs:

India: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (c), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj, and Arshdeep Singh.

Australia: Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh (c), Matthew Short, Josh Philippe (wk), Matt Renshaw, Cooper Connolly, Mitchell Owen, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Ellis, Matthew Kuhnemann, and Josh Hazlewood.

READ: Did Starc break Shoaib Akhtar’s record for world’s fastest delivery?

Pakistan pacer Shaheen Afridi has picked former South Africa batting maestro Hashim Amla over India’s talismanic batter Virat Kohli as the most difficult batter he has bowled to.

During an appearance on the Bricks to Riches podcast, Shaheen spoke about his cricketing career and his future goals.

On a question regarding the most difficult batter to bowl at, Shaheen stated about the stature of Amla as a batter, highlighting his skills.

“Hashim Amla,” he replied. “I’ve played test matches and ODIs against him, and he’s a tough competitor. I have also played a match against him in the Vitality Blast— a Twenty20 cricket tournament in England. I felt that he’s a very good batsman, and he is very good at what he does,” he added.

Is Hashim Amla more than Virat Kohli? The host questioned.

“Virat Kohli is a different player, but Hashim bhai [brother], he’s the toughest. Absolute toughest,” he remarked.

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Shaheen further commented on dismissing Virat Kohli and winning the match against India for the first time in a World Cup.

For context, Shaheen bowled a magical spell against India in the 2021 T20 World Cup, ripping through their top order with a fiery spell of 3 for 31 runs in his four overs.

With the help of his outstanding bowling, Pakistan eventually ended their winless run against arch-rivals India in the World Cups, defeating them by 10 wickets.

“When you get out a main player, your team gets a boost, right. That’s the main wicket you take. Pressure bills on the other team, but nothing in my mind ever. Nothing ever in my mind,” he recalled.

Shaheen Afridi is currently featuring in the T20I tri-series against Afghanistan and the hosts UAE.

The series serves as a vital preparation ground ahead of the ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2025, which is scheduled to start on September 9.

Pakistan will square off against India on September 14 in the marquee event.

READ: Abrar Ahmed enters elite list with career-best T20I spell

Former captain Virat Kohli has become the first active Indian cricketer to complete a BCCI-supervised fitness test outside the country, with his assessment conducted in London, according to Indian media reports on Wednesday.

The board is said to have approved Kohli’s request to use specialised facilities in England, while ensuring the process remained fully monitored.

In contrast, most of his teammates, including ODI skipper Rohit Sharma, undertook their evaluations at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.

Kohli, who has retired from Tests and T20 internationals, is now focused solely on ODIs.

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Meanwhile, Rohit impressed observers in Bengaluru by passing the newly introduced Bronco Test with strong numbers, alongside the traditional Yo-Yo assessment.

The 38-year-old captain was praised for his conditioning and consistency, while pacer Prasidh Krishna also stood out with high scores. Reports suggest all players who took part in the evaluations on August 30 and 31 cleared them successfully.

The Bronco Test, a rugby-inspired drill involving continuous shuttle runs of 20, 40, and 60 metres, was recently added to the Indian team’s fitness protocols by strength and conditioning coach Adrian Le Roux.

It now stands alongside the Yo-Yo test, which has long been the benchmark for evaluating player fitness.

READ: Galatasaray sign Ilkay Gundogan from Manchester City on free transfer

Indian actor and social media star Avneet Kaur has finally addressed the controversy surrounding star batter Virat Kohli liking her picture on Instagram, which he later attributed to a technical glitch.

A few months ago, Kohli stirred up social media when fans noticed his official Instagram account liked a glamorous picture posted by Kaur.

However, the former skipper of the Indian cricket team soon issued a clarification via the social platform.

“I’d like to clarify that while clearing my feed, it appears the algorithm may have mistakenly registered an interaction. There was absolutely no intent behind it. I request that no unnecessary assumptions be made. Thank you for your understanding,” he wrote.

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The accidental “like” ignited a meme frenzy on social media and led to trolling against Virat Kohli, especially considering his high-profile status as part of a couple with Bollywood star Anushka Sharma.

However, this incident turned out to be a golden opportunity for Avneet Kaur, as her brand value increased by 30%. Additionally, she gained at least 12 new brand deals and millions of new followers.

She had maintained strict silence on the controversy until now. During the trailer launch of a movie, she was asked about the sudden wave of attention, which clearly referenced Kohli’s viral “like.”

“Milta rahe pyaar… Aur kya hi keh sakti hoon (May the love keep coming… what more can I really say),” she responded.

READ: Ravichandran Ashwin announces retirement from IPL

Former India cricketer Manoj Tiwary believes star batter Virat Kohli could have extended his Test career, citing the team’s environment as a reason for his early exit.

Kohli, who officially retired from Test cricket in May 2025, brought down the curtain on a stellar red-ball career with 123 Tests, 9230 runs, 30 centuries, and 31 fifties to his name.

Widely regarded as one of India’s most successful Test skippers, Virat Kohli led India to historic series wins, including a landmark triumph in Australia, a first by an Asian team.

Kohli’s Test retirement followed his T20I exit in 2024 after leading India to victory in the ICC T20 World Cup, where they beat South Africa in the final.

Now, Tiwary has commented on the talismanic batter’s departure from five-day cricket, citing his fitness and the Indian team environment in an interview with a sports outlet.

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“No way. So he could have easily played for another three years minimum and four years. It was very surprising and shocking for all the cricket fans, including me as well, because all we knew that he’s so physically fit and he was preparing himself for the England series,” he said.

“I don’t know what happened. What is the story behind the scenes? I think he was not feeling like he was wanted in Team India. Only he can say. I think he will not come out and ever say this thing in public forum because the human he has become, he has evolved as a human being,” he added.

The 39-year-old discussed the team’s atmosphere and the sudden changes that took place behind the scenes, which led to his unexpected decision.

“But as a cricket lover, things that are happening around Team India, the cricketers like us who know a little bit, we all know what’s happening behind the scenes. I think he did not like the atmosphere he was playing in, Manoj Tiwary concluded.

READ: Brendan Taylor returns to ODI fold as Zimbabwe reveal squad for Sri Lanka series

Former Pakistan cricketer Bazid Khan has highlighted the challenges faced by the India team ahead of the Asia Cup 2025, particularly the absences of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma from the lineup.

Speaking during a show on a sports channel, Bazid Khan talked about the India-Pakistan clash in the upcoming event.

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli announced their retirements from the shorter format of the game after India’s triumph in the 2024 World Cup.

Bazid mentioned the retired duo and their set standards for the India team ahead of the event.

“All these players are high-class,” he said.

“There isn’t anyone here you would say is not of that calibre. But the high intensity that Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma brought to the game, that is something India will surely miss,” added Bazid.

He further mentioned the India captain, Suryakumar Yadav’s struggles against Pakistan, stating that his performance against the arch-rivals remains a core issue.

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“Suryakumar scores runs against almost everyone, but somehow against Pakistan, he hasn’t been effective. Whether it is the pace attack or some other reason, it remains an issue,” Bazid Khan remarked.

Notably, Suryakumar Yadav will be leading Team India for the first time in a major event.

With India facing Pakistan on September 14, Yadav’s performance will be under scrutiny. This will be due to the dynamic batter’s struggle against Pakistan, as the 34-year-old is yet to make a mark against them.

Overall, Yadav has an average of 38.20 with an excellent strike rate of 167.07 in 83 T20Is. On the contrary, in five T20I innings against Pakistan, he has scored just 64 runs at a modest average of 12.80 with a strike rate of 118.51.

The Asia Cup 2025 is set to commence on September 9 with the opening match between Hong Kong and Afghanistan.

India’s squad for Asia Cup 2025: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Shubman Gill (vice-captain), Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh, Sanju Samson.

READ: Pakistan to play FIH qualifiers for 2026 World Cup spot

Former Pakistan cricketer Ahmed Shehzad has slammed the comparison of Babar Azam, stating that Virat Kohli cannot be compared to anyone in the world.

Speaking during a recent interview, Shehzad commented on the form of Babar Azam and drawing parallels with great cricketers.

“When everything was going well, you were running campaigns comparing players. Now that the performances are not coming, you are saying ‘don’t compare two players.’ Why not? Virat Kohli’s comparison cannot be made with anyone in the world,” Shehzad said.

Shehzad hailed Virat Kohli as a generational player, stating that the comparison added extra pressure on Babar.

“He is a legend of this generation, a role model. You cannot even compare him with MS Dhoni,” Shehzad said.

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“Dhoni may have been a great captain, but as a batter, cricketer, and athlete, Kohli stands alone. No one should be compared with anyone because it’s unfair and it adds extra pressure, which we are now seeing on Babar Azam,” he added.

Notably, Babar has experienced a significant decline in form over the last couple of years.

The right-handed batter known for his consistent scoring returned with the scores 47, 0, and 9 in the recently concluded three-match ODI series against West Indies.

As a result, Babar Azam has not managed to score a hundred in 72 consecutive innings, with his last ton coming against Nepal in the 2023 Asia Cup.

For the unversed, West Indies clinched the ODI series against Pakistan 2-1 for the first time since 1991. Shai Hope starred with bat whereas Jayden Seales teared through Pakistan batting line-up with a fiery six-wicket haul

READ: Rohit Sharma replaces Babar Azam in ICC ODI rankings

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is in no hurry to make a decision on the ODI future of veteran batters Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, the Indian media reported on Tuesday.

According to reports, the board’s immediate focus remains on the shortest format, with a decision on the two stalwarts expected only after the ICC T20 World Cup 2026.

Kohli and Rohit last turned out for India in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, where both played crucial roles in the title-winning campaign.

Kohli scored 218 runs in five innings at an average of 54.50, while Rohit added 180 runs, providing vital starts. India defeated New Zealand in the final to lift the trophy.

With Virat Kohli now 36 and Rohit Sharma 38, the debate around transitioning to younger players ahead of the ICC ODI World Cup 2027 has gathered momentum.

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Earlier, reports suggested that both players would retire from ODIs later this year, following their exits from Test and T20I cricket, with the home ODI series against Australia in October 2025 set to be their farewell.

However, those claims have now been dismissed in light of the BCCI’s latest stance.

Reports also indicate that the board does not currently see Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma as part of the core plans for the 2027 ODI World Cup.

According to reports, to remain in contention beyond the Australia series, they may be required to feature in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, India’s domestic one-day competition, starting in December 2025.

READ: When will India reveal their Asia Cup 2025 squad?

Former India captain and BCCI president Sourav Ganguly has downplayed reports suggesting Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma could retire from ODI cricket after the three-match series against Australia in October.

The star duo retired from T20I cricket after leading India to victory in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. Earlier this year, they also retired from Test cricket.

They have continued to excel in ODI cricket, leading India to victory in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

However, recent reports from Indian media suggest that the upcoming ODI series against Australia may be their final appearances in this format.

The BCCI is reportedly not considering the duo for their plans for the 2027 ODI World Cup.

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Sourav Ganguly, while speaking at an event in Ahmedabad on Sunday, said he was unaware of any such plans and insisted that performance should remain the only criterion for selection.

“I’m not aware of this, can’t comment on this. Whoever does well will play. If they do well, they should continue,” Ganguly said.

The former India captain praised both players for their contributions to the national side, highlighting their key roles in this year’s Champions Trophy triumph.

“Kohli’s one-day record is phenomenal, even Rohit Sharma’s. Both of them are phenomenal in white-ball cricket,” he added.

READ: Sharjeel Khan named in Kingsmen squad for Top End T20 Series

MUMBAI: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has asked ace Indian duo of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to call time on their One Day International (ODI) careers, according to an Indian news.

The talismanic duo who have already hung up their boots in the Tests and T20Is are not in the plans of the cricket board for the 2027 ICC World Cup.

According to the report, the BCCI is aiming to include a few youngsters and give them ample time before the marquee event, set to be held in South Africa, Namibia, and Zimbabwe.

Consequently, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will likely have to end their careers sooner or later, as per the board’s plans.

Furthermore, the report notes that if Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are keen to feature in the 2027 World Cup, they must participate in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.

Vijay Hazare Trophy is India’s premier domestic 50-over competition, which will commence from 24 December.

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For the unversed, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma were pivotal in India’s recent triumph in the ICC Champions Trophy. Kohli made 218 runs from five matches at an excellent average of 54.50.

The batting maestro also hit a classic unbeaten hundred against arch-rivals Pakistan, whereas Sharma scored 180 runs in the same number of matches, including a crucial knock of 76 runs in the final against New Zealand.

India is set to play three ODIs against Australia, set to commence on October 19. They will also tour South Africa at the end of this year to play the same number of 50-over cricket matches.

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