Virat Kohli’s wave to Adelaide crowd: Did he hint at ODI retirement? Sunil Gavaskar decodes parting gesture

Virat Kohli’s wave to fans in Adelaide after getting out for a duck in the second ODI against Australia set social media on fire. As Kohli’s gesture sent a chilling wave to fans, they started wondering if it was a hint of retirement.

Many thought the gesture meant he was saying goodbye to international cricket. Some fans thought it was the last time Kohli batted at the Adelaide Oval, where he had had a spectacular record. King Kohli has scored two 100s in his 5 ODIs over there.

Virat Kohli, 36, was dismissed by Xavier Bartlett. It was his second consecutive ODI duck, a first in his career.

Kohli’s comeback to ODI cricket hasn’t matched how his fans envisioned it. Rumours of retirement are high, especially because of head coach Gautam Gambhir’s apparent focus on younger players.

“Don’t try to find hidden meaning in that gesture,” Gavaskar said about Virat Kohli’s glove gesture.

“Just see what a remarkable ovation he received when he came out to bat. It was truly touching, especially since most of the crowd were Australians. Of course, many Indians were also present. But, it was mainly Australians appreciating Kohli’s immense contribution to the game,” Sunny Gavaskar said.

“The area he was heading toward, where the players descend from, leads to the members’ stand, where former players, officials and dignitaries sit. I believe he was simply acknowledging their warm reception and the respect they showed him. Don’t try to read too much into it,” he added.

Between October 20 and October 23, the interest in Virat Kohli soared on Google India:

India, batting first, posted 264/9 in 50 overs. The scoring was led by Rohit Sharma’s 73 (97) and Shreyas Iyer’s 61 (77). Axar Patel added a quick 44 off 41 balls to push the total. Harshit Rana’s quickfire 24 off 18 balls gave the Men in Blue a better chance.

Australia’s bowlers kept things tight, with Adam Zampa starring with 4/60. Xavier Bartlett (3/39) dismissed Virat Kohli, skipper Shubman Gill and Washington Sundar. Mitchell Starc (2/62) provided key breakthroughs by dismissing Rohit Sharma and Arshdeep Singh.

In reply, Australia recovered from early setbacks, thanks to Matt Short’s 74 (78) and Cooper Connolly’s unbeaten 61 (53). Mitchell Owen chipped in with a rapid 36 (23) as Australia reached 265/8 in 46.2 overs.

For India, Washington Sundar (2/37), Arshdeep Singh (2/41) and Harshit Rana (2/59) bowled well. Zampa’s impact earned him the Player of the Match award.