Sunil Gavaskar on Kohli's retirement (Source: @Rajiv1841/x.com, @BCCI/x.com)
Ending a seven-month-long absence, the entire cricket world was excited for Virat Kohli’s return to international cricket, but the comeback has turned out to be a forgettable one. Being dismissed in ducks consecutively, questions now swirl around the star’s form and future.
After King Kohli waved at the Adelaide crowd after going out on a duck in the second ODI, people assumed this series was Kohli’s farewell series. However, Sunil Gavaskar clarified that Kohli was simply thanking the fans and is very much in plans for the 2027 World Cup.
Kohli’s story still has many chapters left
After the Champions Trophy final in March 2025, Virat Kohli returned to international cricket in the ongoing ODI series against Australia. As the world was up for a thrilling knock from King Kohli in the Aussie backyard but it turned out to be a forgettable one. Dismissed for ducks in both Perth and the second ODI, his comeback has been far from the fairytale many expected.
After walking away towards the pavilion in the second ODI, Kohli waved at the Adelaide crowd in a warm gesture, but it became the talk of the town. Speaking to Sports Tak, former Indian batter Sunil Gavaskar put those rumors to rest, saying the batter will bounce back in the next match.
“Look, the man has more than 14,000 runs, 52 ODI centuries, and I think 32 Test centuries. He's scored thousands and thousands of runs, so he's allowed a couple of failures. Don't read too much into what has happened — there's plenty of cricket left, plenty of cricket ahead,” he said.
“Maybe Sydney will see a big innings from him. Adelaide, of course, has been his favorite ground in Australia, both at the Test level and in ODIs. He's scored hundreds there, so naturally, everyone was expecting a big one here as well. But that didn't quite happen,” he added.
Kohli’s gesture of gratitude, not goodbye
After Virat Kohli’s wave to the Adelaide crowd, speculation ran wild about whether it marked the end of his ODI journey. Talking about that, Sunil Gavaskar said that it was just a simple gesture from the King to the Adelaide crowd, just to acknowledge their unwavering support.
“What a wonderful ovation he got when he walked out to bat. It was truly heartwarming because the majority of the crowd were Australians. Yes, there were lots of Indians there, but most of the crowd were Australians, recognising what he's done for the game. That ovation was really, really special,” he said.
“No, it's not the end. Look, where he was going — where the players come down from — is where the members' stand is. The members' stand is where former players, administrators, and others sit. I think he was just acknowledging the ovation they were giving him,” he added.
After facing two consecutive defeats, the series has already slipped away from Team India’s win. As the sides meet again on October 25 in Sydney, the Men in Blue will be desperate to salvage some pride with at least one win.
