‘Sword is hanging’: Irfan Pathan pulls no punches after Virat Kohli’s struggles in Australia

‘Sword is hanging’: Former teammate opens up on Virat Kohli’s current struggles in Australia (AP Photo)

In his heyday, it seemed unimaginable for Virat Kohli to be dismissed for two consecutive ducks. The Indian great, who currently only plays in One-Day Internationals (ODIs), was dismissed for zero in two straight games during the current series in Australia. Since the Champions Trophy 2025 in February-March, Kohli has not scored in his maiden international assignment. Irfan Pathan, former India cricketer, provided his perspective on what could be 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.

Also Read | 'Maa kasam khao nahi paltoge': Chahal deletes cryptic post after fans link it to Dhanashree Verma alimony rumours

Kohli was dismissed while attempting his favourite flick shot in the second ODI. How does he recover, then? "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.

Also Read | Sunil Gavaskar refuses to 'read too much into' Virat Kohli's Adelaide gesture, makes huge 2027 World Cup prediction

Pathan also voiced his displeasure with India's decision to bench left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav in Thursday's crucial ODI match against Australia in Adelaide. As Australia chased down the target of 265 to seal the series, India's bowling attack found it difficult to make any headway.

Kuldeep Yadav was must for this game. Things could have been different had he been there but onus is on batters to score more runs. Losing 2 wickets in the power play regularly won’t help the cause. Cooper Connolly is surely the one for the future for Australia.

— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) October 23, 2025

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 power play regularly won't help the cause. Cooper Connolly is surely the one for the future for Australia."