"Sword Is Hanging": Virat Kohli's Ex-Teammate Decodes What's Going Wrong With India Great

Two straight ducks for Virat Kohli were unthinkable in his prime. Times have changed, and the Indian great - who now plays only ODIs in international cricket - was dismissed for zero in two consecutive matches in the ongoing series in Australia. This is Kohli's first international assignment since the Champions Trophy 2025 in February-March, and he is yet to score. Kohli's long-time teammate Irfan Pathan offered his analysis of what might be going wrong.

"Virat Kohli-two back-to-back ducks. I've never seen that. This might be the impact of pressure or rustiness. I think the social media pressure being put on the two greats-Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli-must be managed so it doesn't affect Kohli. It's important to persist with them when the runs aren't coming. It's tough. When the sword is hanging, it's not easy to perform. I hope Virat Kohli isn't feeling that pressure internally," Pathan said on his YouTube channel.

In the second ODI, Kohli was dismissed while playing his favourite flick shot. So how does he bounce back? "I think Virat Kohli wants to take a single quickly, to get off strike, especially after getting out for ducks. It's natural. But it must be ensured that there's no desperation. He must continue enjoying his batting. If he spends time in the middle, the runs will come. He won't look back from there," Pathan added.

Pathan also expressed his disappointment after India opted to leave out left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav in the must-win ODI against Australia in Adelaide on Thursday. India's bowling attack struggled to make breakthroughs as Australia chased down the target of 265, sealing the series.

Taking to his X handle, Pathan wrote, "Kuldeep Yadav was a must for this game. Things could have been different had he been there, but the onus is on batters to score more runs. Losing two wickets in the powerplay regularly won't help the cause. Cooper Connolly is surely the one for the future for Australia."

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Virat Kohli India Cricket Team Australia Cricket Team Irfan Pathan Australia vs India 2025 Cricket