Virat Kohli becomes the worst batter in Cricket

Virat Kohli returned to international cricket after a seven-month break, hoping to bring his usual flair back to India’s ODI lineup. However, Virat Kohli failed to live up to the hype and expectations in the first ODI against Australia at the Optus Stadium in Perth on Sunday (October 19).

The dashing right-handed batter’s comeback ended in disappointment as he was dismissed for a duck after just eight balls. Facing a full-length delivery outside off-stump from Mitchell Starc, he attempted a cover drive that went wrong, and the ball flew to Cooper Connolly at point.

Virat Kohli’s comeback ends in a duck, overtaking Rohit in most ducks for India

This was the first time in 30 ODI innings in Australia that Kohli had been dismissed without scoring. The duck also added an unwanted record to his celebrated career, marking his 17th in ODI cricket. With this, Kohli overtook Rohit Sharma in the list of Indian players with the most ducks.

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Sachin Tendulkar still leads the list of Indian players with the most ducks in ODIs with 20 ducks, followed by Javagal Srinath with 19 and Yuvraj Singh and Anil Kumble with 18 each. It was Kohli’s 39th duck in 551 international matches for India.

With this, he became the third Indian player with the most ducks in international cricket. Only the former Indian pacers Zaheer Khan (44 in 309 innings) and Ishant Sharma (40 in 199 innings) have scored more ducks in international cricket than the former Indian captain among Indian batters.

Virat Kohli surpasses Rohit Sharma and Sachin Tendulkar in ducks

Meanwhile, Virat Kohli’s return to international cricket drew massive crowds at Optus Stadium on Sunday, with fans eager to watch the star batsman back in action after 224 days. Expectations were sky-high, given Kohli’s status as the third-highest run-getter in ODIs.

However, the comeback ended in shock, and this unexpected dismissal left fans stunned and put India on the back foot early in the ongoing three-match ODI series opener against Australia.

Across all formats, Virat Kohli now has 39 ducks among top and middle-order batsmen (1 to 7 batting position), surpassing Rohit Sharma, who has 34 ducks in 533 innings, and Sachin Tendulkar, who has 34 ducks in 782 innings. The rare failure for one of India’s greatest batters left everyone shocked.

Read Also: Mitchell Starc bowls 176.5 kmph thunderbolt to Rohit Sharma in IND vs AUS 1st ODI, but there’s a catch

Perth ODI reduced to 32 overs as rain interrupts India-Australia action

On the other hand, the first ODI between India and Australia in Perth has been reduced to a 26-over-per-side match after multiple rain interruptions, adding extra pressure on both teams. India reached 50 runs in 15.4 overs, but the top order’s struggle left the touring side in a tricky position.

KL Rahul and Axar Patel are at the crease, trying to stabilize the innings and build a crucial partnership. But the rain returned once again, forcing the umpires to send the players back to the dressing room.

Earlier, the young Indian all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy made his ODI debut in Perth, where he played his debut Test last year. Notably, the ongoing Perth ODI is Rohit Sharma’s 500th international match, making him the fifth player with the most appearances for India in international cricket.