Was Virat Kohli’s Wave after ODI Duck a Hint at Retirement?

Virat Kohli’s quiet wave to the Adelaide crowd has ignited intense speculation about his future in international cricket.

The 36-year-old suffered a duck in the second ODI against Australia, marking the first time in his career he has registered two consecutive ducks in One Day Internationals.

But what got people talking was Virat’s actions after the dismissal.

As he made his way off the field, Virat raised his gloves and waved to fans at the Adelaide Oval, prompting immediate chatter online that the gesture could have been a silent farewell.

One wrote: “The way Kohli thanked the fans actually scares me a bit.”

Another said: “Virat Kohli just lifts his right glove to wave at the Adelaide crowd as he walks back for a zero, his second in a row. Is it just for the Adelaide Oval or for everyone?

“For sure, fans would love to see him go with a Bang.”

A third added: “The way Virat raised his gloves while walking off, I’m afraid we may hear the dreaded announcement soon.”

The reaction reflected the unease among supporters watching a player who has defined Indian cricket for more than a decade appear unusually emotional.

Virat Kohli’s walk back to the pavilion was slow and deliberate. The crowd stood to applaud, sensing the gravity of the moment.

The dismissal itself came when Virat failed to cover the line of an inswinging delivery from medium pacer Xavier Bartlett. Trapped LBW after facing just four balls, he looked visibly dejected as he left the field.

His rare sequence of back-to-back ducks, the first coming in Perth against Mitchell Starc, added weight to the growing sense that this might be more than just a blip in form.

At Adelaide Oval, Virat has long been at his best. His tally of 976 runs there remains the highest by any visiting batter, making the sight of him walking off without scoring all the more symbolic.

VIRAT KOHLI GONE FOR HIS SECOND DUCK OF THE SERIES!#AUSvIND | #PlayoftheDay | @BKTtires pic.twitter.com/jqIdvMeX9T

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) October 23, 2025

Before the series began, Virat Kohli had dismissed any notion of winding down his career.

Ahead of the first ODI, he said: “I’m feeling as fit, if not fitter than I’ve ever been before, and yeah, you can just feel the freshness when you know you can play the game, and mentally you know what to do out there; it’s just the physical preparation that really needs to be taken care of.

“At this stage, I realised that if my body is fit, if my reflexes are there, then the game awareness is already there; my body has to match up with it, and that’s something that I try to keep up with.

“I live my life like that and, yeah, no issues at all.”

“I’m feeling fresh here coming into Australia and moving really well in the nets and in the fielding sessions as well, so all good so far.”

Yet his form has faltered just when he sought to reaffirm his longevity.

Virat Kohli’s goal of featuring in the 2027 ODI World Cup suddenly looks uncertain, as questions over his place in the side grow louder.

With young talents like Yashasvi Jaiswal waiting on the bench, the competition for spots in India’s lineup has intensified.

Virat Kohli’s stature ensures he won’t be written off easily, but his recent dismissals, and that haunting wave, have stirred emotions far beyond the boundary rope.