Watch: Virat Kohli’s crowd gesture fuels retirement talk after consecutive ducks, video goes viral

In ODI cricket, Virat Kohli was dismissed for two consecutive ducks for the first time in his career. In the Adelaide ODI, Kohli was out for a 4-ball duck after failing to score in his previous 8 balls in Perth. Fans on social media expressed outrage over the India stalwart’s dismissal, with some questioning whether the talismanic batter’s international career is coming to an end. The 36-year-old’s return to the dressing room following his dismissal fueled further retirement rumors.

Kohli was spotted returning to the dressing room while holding his gloves and waving to the supporters. The gesture left fans wondering whether the batter was signaling that he was leaving. With players like Yashasvi Jaiswal waiting on the bench, competition for spots on the Indian team is fierce. Even with his stature, Kohli is no longer a guaranteed selection.

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Kohli made a strong declaration about his fitness and readiness for the series ahead of the first ODI in Perth. He also remained steadfast in his goal of winning the 2027 ODI World Cup. However, his on-field performance hasn’t quite lived up to the confident rhetoric he expressed before the series began.

“I’m feeling as fit, if not fitter than I’ve ever been before, and yeah, you can just feel the freshness when you know you can play the game, and mentally you know what to do out there; it’s just the physical preparation that really needs to be taken care of,” he had said ahead of the start of the first ODI on Sunday.

“At this stage, I realised that if my body is fit, if my reflexes are there, then the game awareness is already there; my body has to match up with it, and that’s something that I try to keep up with. I live my life like that and, yeah, no issues at all. I’m feeling fresh here coming into Australia and moving really well in the nets and in the fielding sessions as well, so all good so far,” Kohli had said.

ODI World Cup seems to be the aim for Kohli, but his form, at present, is set to make it tough for him to retain his spot in the team.