Australian fast bowler Xavier Bartlett became the latest target of Virat Kohli’s emotionally charged fans after he dismissed the Indian star for a duck in the second ODI at the Adelaide Oval. Bartlett, 26, trapped Kohli’s leg in front of the wicket for a scoreless outing, the Indian superstar’s second duck in a row.
For the first time in his illustrious ODI career, Virat Kohli was dismissed for a duck in consecutive innings. Australia managed to seal the three-match series with a thrilling two-wicket win, but Bartlett’s prized scalp sparked an online firestorm, with furious fans swarming his Instagram to vent their frustration.
It didn’t help that Kohli waved to the farewell crowd in Adelaide as he walked back to the pavilion, a gesture that some on social media interpreted as signaling his impending ODI exit. Bartlett, who has more than 22,000 followers and hasn’t posted since August 1, saw his latest upload, a photo with Kohli from the IPL, attract more than 4,400 comments, many mocking, with several referring to Kohli as Bartlett’s “dad”.
The reaction mirrors the trolling faced by fellow Australian pacer Mitchell Starc, who dismissed Kohli earlier in the series for an eight-ball duck in Perth. Despite the online abuse, Bartlett received strong support from teammates and the wider cricket community, with many condemning the harassment as unacceptable.
Speaking after the match, Bartlett remained humble about the wicket and praised Kohli’s position in the game. “Probably one of the best white-ball players ever,” he told Fox Cricket. “I was lucky to get him, I tried to throw a shootout and it came back. Probably a bit of pure luck, but it was nice to see his back early.”
Kohli’s back-to-back ducks mark the first time in his illustrious ODI career that he has been dismissed without scoring in consecutive innings and only the second time he has registered a duck on Australian soil. The 36-year-old, who has retired from Test and T20 cricket, will have one last chance to find his form in the third and final ODI at the SCG on Saturday.
Rohit Sharma’s defiant 73 came up empty as India surrendered the series after the second match, losing by two wickets. His 97-ball knock anchored India’s total of 264 for 9, at least 25 runs short of the par score. The loss also reignited the debate over the omission of proven match-winner Kuldeep Yadav from the playing XI.
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Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
October 24, 2025
