Indian cricket fans experienced a roller-coaster of emotions during the recent ODI match against Australia, as star players Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma were dismissed early on their highly anticipated return to international cricket. The comeback of these veteran batsmen, who had been absent from the international scene for seven months, was met with immense excitement, but their quick departures left fans disheartened and led to an outpouring of reactions on social media.
Rohit Sharma managed to score just eight runs before Josh Hazlewood found his edge, while Virat Kohli’s return was short-lived as he was out for a duck off eight balls, courtesy of a delivery from Mitchell Starc. These early exits quickly turned the mood from hopeful to humorous, with fans flooding online platforms with memes and witty comments to express their disappointment.
Fans took to X (formerly Twitter) to share their feelings. One user expressed their disappointment, stating, “I didn’t sleep last night just to watch this 8 ball duck from King Virat Kohli.” Another commented on the perceived hype surrounding the players, posting, “For those who have taken money to cover them, it’s time to start PR exercise with old videos and stats.” The sentiment of anticipation and the subsequent letdown was palpable, with one fan lamenting, “We waited for 5 months to watch him play. He travelled from London to Delhi to Mumbai to Perth only to score 8 ball duck.” The early morning viewing experience was also highlighted by a fan who wrote, “Waking up early at 9 AM to watch Ro-ko batting in the Australia match, and he got out within 30 minutes without even scoring total 10. Meanwhile, the Australian fans are happily saying, ‘Best Diwali gift.'”
This incident comes shortly after both Kohli and Sharma announced their retirements from Test and T20I cricket. Kohli concluded his T20I career after India’s T20 World Cup victory last year and later retired from Test cricket. Similarly, Rohit Sharma stepped down from T20Is after leading India to the 2024 T20 World Cup title and also retired from Test cricket earlier this year. However, Sharma recently confirmed his intention to play in the 2027 ODI World Cup, reassuring fans about his continued presence in the 50-over format.
