Virat Kohli smothered, burnt by Marnus Labuschagne

Australian cricket star Marnus Labuschagne has made a huge statement on former Indian skipper Virat Kohli during the IPL 2025 season.

Labuschagne stated that he is working hard to stop nicking off outside off-stump deliveries like Virat Kohli did in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT 2024-25) series in Australia.

Labuschagne has been under pressure after his inconsistent performances during the Australian summer. The right-handed batter was awarded a new Australian contract earlier this month.

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However, the 30-year-old batter is struggling with his form, having scored just one century in his last 27 Test matches.

I'm Working Hard on It, Brother - Marnus Labuschagne Responds to Question on Virat Kohli

A few days ago, Marnus Labuschagne posted a video of himself practicing in the nets. A user urged him to stop getting out like Virat Kohli. Labuschagne then replied, saying he was working hard on improving that aspect of his game.

"How bout stop nicking off outside off like kohli mate," a user commented.

"@will_long._ am working hard on it brother," Labuschagne replied.

pic.twitter.com/7V7nw1g1gI

— Out Of Context Cricket (@GemsOfCricket) April 27, 2025

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A post shared by Marnus Labuschagne (@marnus3)

Labuschagne’s recent practice video on Instagram has received over 100,000 likes. Many fans agreed with his words for acknowledging areas in his game that needed improvement.

Virat Kohli Endured a Difficult Outing During the 2024–25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy

Virat Kohli endured a difficult outing during the 2024–25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia. His weakness outside the off stump was exposed by Australia's bowlers. Kohli was dismissed eight times in a very similar fashion—caught behind either by the wicketkeeper or in the slip cordon.

Out of nine innings he played, Kohli managed to remain not out only once, when he scored an unbeaten century in the second innings at Perth. Apart from his century, he registered underwhelming scores of 5, 7, 11, 3, 36, 5, 17, and 6.

The 36-year-old batter failed to adapt and repeatedly fell into the same mode of dismissal, drawing heavy criticism. India lost the five-match series by 1-3 and failed to advance to the ICC World Test Championship (WTC 2025) final.

Marnus Labuschagne's Red-Ball Form Has Been a Concern for Australia

Marnus Labuschagne's red-ball form has been a growing concern for Australia. He has averaged just 25.63 across the 2024 and 2025 seasons.

Labuschagne produced valuable innings of 70 and 72 during the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne during the series against India.

However, he struggled in the remaining games, managing only low scores of 12, 1, 2, and 6. He posted scores of 20, 4, and an unbeaten 26 across two Tests on the Sri Lankan tour.

These underwhelming performances have sparked debate about his place in Australia's Test squad, especially with Cameron Green nearing a return from injury.

Some experts suggest that Labuschagne could be dropped ahead of the ICC World Test Championship final against South Africa at Lord’s in June.

Also read: Abhishek Nayar joins new team amid IPL 2025; Paras Mhambrey appointed head coach in league