Virat Kohli Registers First-Ever ODI Duck in Australia as India’s Top Order Crumbles
Perth, October 19: In a stunning turn of events at the Optus Stadium, Virat Kohli was dismissed for a duck in the first ODI against Australia — his first-ever zero in an ODI on Australian soil.
Kohli, returning to international cricket after the IPL 2025 final, lasted just eight balls before edging a Mitchell Starc delivery to backward point, where Cooper Connolly took a sharp catch.
This rare failure came amid a broader collapse of India’s top order. Rohit Sharma (8), Shubman Gill (10), and Kohli (0) collectively managed only 18 runs — their lowest combined top-three score in an ODI since the 2019 World Cup semifinal against New Zealand.
Rohit fell to Hazlewood, Gill to Ellis, and Kohli to Starc, leaving India reeling inside the first 10 overs.
The match also marked the international return of both Kohli and Rohit following India’s Champions Trophy 2025 triumph.
With speculation swirling around their future in white-ball cricket, this series carries added weight. India handed a debut to Nitish Kumar Reddy, while Australia introduced Matthew Renshaw and Mitchell Owen to the ODI format.
Starc’s dismissal of Kohli also placed him in elite company — alongside James Anderson — as one of only two bowlers to dismiss Kohli for a duck twice across formats.
