Virat Kohli, known as King Kohli in the cricket world, is currently in the news due to his poor form in Australia.
Recently, in the ODI series against Australia, Kohli was dismissed for ducks in two consecutive matches.
This has raised questions about his form, and former Indian coach Ravi Shastri has warned him that if he wants to secure a place in the 2027 ICC ODI World Cup, he must regain his form quickly.
Shastri’s Warning on Kohli’s Form
Kohli returned to international cricket after seven months, and fans were expecting him to score a lot of runs against Australia. But Mitchell Starc dismissed him for a duck in the first ODI in Perth, and Xavier Bartlett dismissed him for a duck in the second ODI in Adelaide.
Speaking to Fox Sports, Ravi Shastri said, “He’ll have to get back in form pretty quickly. The competition for places in Indian white-ball cricket is such that no one is going to relax, whether it’s Virat or Rohit or anyone in the team.”
Shastri says that the competition for a place in Indian white-ball cricket is so fierce that no player, be it Kohli or Rohit Sharma, can afford to relax.
Is Kohli’s career in danger?
Indian cricket has been going through a period of change over the past seven months. New players like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, and Abhishek Sharma have been performing brilliantly, which has increased the pressure on senior players.
Shastri expressed disappointment over Kohli’s two consecutive ducks, saying, “It isn’t going to be easy; there is competition. He has missed out again today; he was a little tentative with his footwork.
It doesn’t happen often; his record in one-day cricket is phenomenal, so for him to get two ducks on the trot, he will be disappointed.”
Kohli has an impressive ODI record, scoring over 14,000 runs and 51 centuries. However, his current form has raised questions about his future.
Kohli was India’s second-highest run-scorer in the 2025 Champions Trophy. But now, fans and selectors are looking ahead to the third ODI in Sydney, where Kohli will be keen to avoid a third consecutive duck.
At 36, Kohli’s fitness is excellent, but selectors are now prioritizing form and performance more.
Kohli will have to regain his old form soon for the 2027 World Cup, otherwise young players can take his place.
