Former Indian captain Virat Kohli was dismissed without scoring once again in the second ODI against Australia, marking his second consecutive duck in the series. As he walked back to the pavilion, Kohli silently raised his gloves towards the crowd—a gesture that quickly became the subject of intense discussion online.
According to Zee News, despite getting out for zero runs again, Kohli’s quiet farewell gesture by raising his gloves to the fans has fueled rumors about a possible retirement. While no official statement has been made, the back-to-back ducks combined with this enigmatic signal have only intensified the speculation about Kohli’s future in international cricket.
The Indian media and fans are treating this act as highly significant, sparking debates about whether this was a deliberate hint toward hanging up his boots.
Indian journalist Vikrant Gupta posted on X (formerly Twitter), questioning the meaning behind Kohli’s action: “Are we reading too much into Virat Kohli’s gesture? Was it really a sign pointing toward retirement, or will he wait until the final ODI of the series?”
Some users took a sarcastic stance on Kohli’s poor form, joking, “Will Virat Kohli announce his retirement, or will he prefer getting out for a duck in the third match as well?”
While many fans commented on the gesture, a section of Indian cricket supporters has also started urging Kohli to consider retirement given his recent slump in performance.
Currently, the Indian team is touring Australia, set to play three ODIs and five T20 internationals. Australia won the first ODI by 7 wickets in Perth, and Kohli failed to score in both the first and second matches. The Adelaide Oval, known to be a ground where Kohli has historically excelled as one of the highest-scoring overseas batsmen, witnessed yet another disappointment as he was dismissed for zero runs off just four balls.
This sequence of events has led both the media and cricket fans to connect Kohli’s gesture with possible retirement, though no formal announcement or clarification has been provided by the player himself.
