In a truly astonishing moment for Indian cricket, star batsman Virat Kohli recently endured a rare and unprecedented setback in his illustrious career. During the second One Day International against Australia at the Adelaide Oval, Kohli was dismissed for a golden duck – out on the very first ball he faced.
This particular dismissal came at the hands of Australian fast bowler Xavier Bartlett, who delivered a perfectly executed leg-before-wicket (LBW) in the seventh over. The ball swung in sharply from a good length, catching Kohli in his crease. He attempted a flick shot but was cleanly beaten on the inside edge, prompting umpire Sam Nogajski to raise his finger without hesitation. Subsequent ball-tracking technology later confirmed the decision, showing the ball would have struck the middle stump.
What makes this incident truly remarkable is that it marks the first time in Kohli’s extensive 303-match ODI career that he has been dismissed for ducks in back-to-back innings. Having also failed to score in the preceding ODI in Perth, this unusual streak left the usually vocal India-supporting crowd in stunned silence. Ever the sportsman, Kohli acknowledged the crowd’s unwavering support by raising his gloves as he made his way back to the pavilion.
While the 36-year-old has accumulated 17 ducks throughout his ODI journey, this is the very first occasion where he has recorded consecutive noughts, highlighting a challenging period for the batting legend.
Virat Kohli’s Illustrious ODI Career Statistics:
- Matches Played: 303
- Innings Batted: 291
- Not Outs: 45
- Total Runs Scored: 14,181
- Highest Individual Score: 183
- Batting Average: 57.65
- Half-Centuries (50s): 74
- Centuries (100s): 51
- Ducks (Scores of zero): 17