Ravi Shastri urged Virat Kohli to regain form after consecutive ducks in India’s ODI series against Australia. Sunil Gavaskar dismissed retirement rumours, saying Kohli aims to finish strongly in Sydney, South Africa, and the 2027 World Cup.
Former India coach Ravi Shastri has urged Virat Kohli to quickly regain his form after the star batter struggled in the ongoing ODI series against Australia. Kohli, returning to international cricket after a lengthy break since February’s Champions Trophy, has endured a difficult comeback, registering consecutive ducks in India’s first two matches. India currently trail Australia 2-0 in the three-match series following their loss in Adelaide.
Speaking during commentary on Fox Sports during the second ODI on October 23, Shastri noted that the competition for places in India’s white-ball squad is intense, and no player can take selection for granted. He also highlighted Kohli’s tentative footwork as a factor in his recent struggles.
“He’ll have to get some form pretty quickly. The competition for places is such in India in white-ball cricket, no one is going to relax, whether it’s Virat or Rohit or anyone in the team. It’s not going to be easy, there is competition. He missed out again today, he was a little tentative with his footwork. It doesn’t happen often, his record in one-day cricket is phenomenal, so for him to get two ducks on the trot, he’ll be disappointed.” Shastri said
Sunil Gavaskar dismisses retirement rumours
Despite the poor outings, speculation about Kohli retiring has been firmly dismissed. Legendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar said the former India captain is not the type to quit after two failures and will aim to finish strongly in the ongoing series and beyond. Gavaskar explained that Kohli’s gesture of waving to the crowd after his dismissal in Adelaide was simply a mark of appreciation, not an indication of retirement.
“Virat Kohli is not the type of player to give up after two ducks. He will aim to retire on a high, playing in Sydney, followed by the ODI series in South Africa, and then the 2027 World Cup alongside Rohit. Even the Australians would have been disappointed — they didn’t get to see a big score from Virat Kohli. I think he was simply acknowledging the crowd with his gloves. Normally, when you get a big score, you acknowledge it with your bat raised, or your helmet or cap off. But this was just his way of thanking the crowd for the reception and the ovation they gave him. Don’t read too much into it,” said Gavaskar.
India and Australia will face off in the third and final ODI on October 25, where Kohli will be eager to regain his rhythm and help India avoid a series sweep.