Adelaide Oval : Indian cricket legend Virat Kohli found himself at the centre of intense speculation on Wednesday after a poignant gesture towards the crowd at the Adelaide Oval, following his second consecutive duck in the ODI series against Australia.
The 36-year-old batting icon, who had recently declared he was feeling “fitter than ever,” was dismissed for a four-ball duck in the second One Day International at Adelaide, marking the first time in his celebrated career he has recorded back-to-back ducks in the 50-over format. This poor run of form, coupled with fierce competition for spots in the national squad from younger players like Yashasvi Jaiswal, has placed his immediate future under the spotlight.
It was Kohli’s response upon walking back to the pavilion that ignited the social media firestorm. As he departed the field with his gloves still in hand, Kohli turned and offered a noticeable wave to the packed Adelaide crowd.
This simple act, captured and shared widely across platforms like X (formerly Twitter), was interpreted by a significant segment of the cricketing fraternity as a possible farewell. Fans immediately began debating whether the talismanic batter was signaling the impending end of his illustrious international career.
One fan post commented, “End is very-very near guys, cherish each and every moment of Virat Kohli in this tour,” while another prominent account highlighted the significance of the wave: “The way Kohli thanked the fans actually scares me a bit.”
Ahead of the series, Kohli had been vocal about his intent to play in the 2027 ODI World Cup. However, the unexpected double failure has amplified existing conversations about his form and whether his current output is enough to guarantee selection in an aggressively competitive Indian squad. His performance in the upcoming matches will now be scrutinized more closely than ever as the cricket world awaits clarity on the meaning behind his emotional crowd gesture.
