Virat Kohli’s farewell tour of Australia has, somewhat surprisingly, gone off the rails. He is now reeling from a difficult opening in the present One Day International (ODI) series. Registering a duck in both the first and second ODIs against Australia, Kohli is enduring a tough patch. This represents a historic low for him, being the first instance in his illustrious ODI career where he has scored five consecutive ducks. It’s been a win-dominated farewell series for him in Australia. It has soon become a worst-case nightmare for the cricketing samsher.
Mitchell Starc took the prized wicket of the Indian captain on Sunday in the very first ODI of the series. In the second game, Xavier Bartlett came to the fore and bowled out Kohli for zero. It was a huge coup for Bartlett. Fans and commentators alike are reeling at the insulting sneakery of these eliminations. This is doubly surprising for the simple reason that Kohli’s phenomenal record in one-day cricket.
Kohli is often hailed as “probably one of the best white-ball players of all time.” His extraordinary deeds on the pitch have made him an international ambassador for the game. You have the fans across the globe that worship him. First, Australian fans have developed a deep admiration for his competitive fire on the game field.
Even amid his extreme struggles in the ongoing series, Kohli is deified by cricket fans the world over. His last social media post, which came in August, reflected on his time in the Indian Premier League. He had time to touch on some highlights from his other tours. His recent performances led to massive interactions, as this particular post accumulated over 3,500 comments on it. These fans were more vocal and leveled outrage toward Bartlett for his decision to cut the star player.
In a surprising turn of events, the Indian cricketer’s passionate admirers have taken to social media to express their extreme ire. They’ve gone after Bartlett since his sacking of the Indian batsman. Bartlett showed great sportsmanship by rubbing the salt in with a fitting tribute to Kohli just moments after getting him out. The two players forged a close bond during their time together at IRange Punjab Kings in the IPL.
Mitchell Starc took care of Kohli’s wicket in the opening match. He has an interesting history with Kohli, having played as a teammate at Royal Challengers Bangalore. The friendship shared among these players thickens the air in their championship face-offs.
Kohli’s probable last match in Australia looms next Sunday at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). India will take on England in the final ODI before going into a five-match T20 series at home against Australia. The excitement for this game is still palpable among fans who are looking for a resurgence by Kohli.
Legendary Australian cricketer Mark Waugh praised Kohli’s staying power. It is great to see such level of adulation that fans have for Kohli. As Waugh observed, in his era, Sachin Tendulkar ran off with the hearts of a million fans. Virat Kohli is one of few athletes today who enjoys that respect and admiration.
“People just come to watch him. Sometimes they’re not even worried with India and what they’re doing — it’s all about Virat Kohli. He’s just a phenomenal player and the fans love him.” – Mark Waugh
Former Australian captain Steve Waugh has commended Kohli’s dogged spirit. That’s why Australian fans love the spirit that Virat Kohli brings to the field because it’s Australian-like. His fierce competitiveness has earned him comparisons with what Australian fans want from their own players.
Former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri explained what Kohli is going through and why it’s paramount to find form again, and fast. He noted that there are only roughly 20 games left in the entire calendar year. He stressed that Kohli should strike his rhythm early, so he can play a positive role in guiding the team nicely.
“There’s a lot of cricket, about 20 games to be played. He’ll have to get some form pretty quickly.” – Ravi Shastri
Shastri pointed towards the future opportunities for Kohli to find his form. He mentioned India’s home series against South Africa and New Zealand being a fabulous stage for Kohli to find form and get himself back into strong contention.
“India play three games against South Africa and three against New Zealand at home so that’s a good opportunity to get some runs under the belt.” – Ravi Shastri
Virat Kohli is facing this tough period on his Aussie farewell tour. Cricket fans everywhere are waiting, as well as his fellow players, for his first official statement on the field. They have faith that he will meet the moment. They expect him to blow them away and show the world why he’s one of the sport’s greats.
