The word ‘Duck’ was trending on Twitter about a little over an hour into India’s innings on Friday. Well, it was because India’s talismanic batter Virat Kohli had shockingly bagged a 5-ball duck in the second ODI versus South Africa in Paarl.
Virat Kohli came into bat in the 12th over at the fall of Shikhar Dhawan’s wicket. Dhawan and skipper KL Rahul had set a platform of 63 runs for other batters. However, Virat Kohli, who had scored a fluent fifty in the first ODI, couldn’t get himself in today.
He tapped a couple of balls from Keshav Maharaj on the leg side before the spinner induced two false shots. Finally, on his fifth ball, Virat Kohli gave a dolly to South African captain Temba Bavuma to end his stay.
Maharaj bowled a lofted delivery on the off-stump to which Virat Kohli wanted to loft it over cover on the offside. However, the ball held in the pitch and stopped, eliciting a mistimed shot from the former India captain. Beaten on timing, Kohli’s bottom hand came off the handle and he couldn’t keep the shot down as the ball lobbed straight to Bavuma at cover.
Maharaj looked up in the sky, for he knew the enormity of Kohli’s wicket while the batsman trudged back to the dressing room with his head down leaving India in a pickle at 64/2.
Virat Kohli missing a century – for the last two years – makes news. Virat Kohli getting out for a duck was surely going to blow up Twitter. While some fans showed concern regarding the lack of energy in Kohli since the first ODI after not being the captain of any format now. Others came up with some hilarious memes and trolled the former captain.
Here are some of the best reactions to Virat Kohli’s 5-ball duck:
Virat Kohli for the first time in his ODI career, has been dismissed for a duck by a spinner.
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) January 21, 2022
31st duck in International cricket for Kohli (ODIs 14, Tests 14, T20Is 3). Also, 64 inns without an Int’l century for Kohli, last Int’l century was against a Bangladesh bowling without Shakib & Mustafizur, in India on 23rd Nov 2019. The most overrated cricketer ever. ??#Cricket
— Daniel Alexander (@daniel86cricket) January 21, 2022
virat kohli out with duck pic.twitter.com/bVmv1dkm4p
— ex. capt (@thephukdi) January 21, 2022
Kohli’s duck collections.
Can you count?? pic.twitter.com/dUBG1kePCs
— ?? शून्य ?? (@0_Shunya_0) January 21, 2022
Duck pic.twitter.com/e4mHv68kl5
— MODI SUPPORTERS ?? (@Modified_Public) January 21, 2022
Virat Kohli gone for duck*
Scenes on Twitter: pic.twitter.com/IxlYDiESDy
— Rajasthani Memer 4.0 (@Memes_Raj) January 21, 2022
It’s not the duck that’s troubling.
Greatest of batsmen have faced it. Virat is no exception. He got a brilliant fifty in the last game anyway.
It’s the lack of anger on his face, he not cussing himself for playing that shot, not emoting the way he does — that’s troubling.
— KSR (@KShriniwasRao) January 21, 2022
Huge loss to PayTm & Google pay with that dismissal of Kohli.
— Gurkirat Singh Gill (@gurkiratsgill) January 21, 2022
Kohli fell 100 runs short of his century.
— Robb (@dwight_snoott) January 21, 2022
We are welcoming king kohli to our duck adademy whole heartedly.
King , hope you will prosper more with our academy. We are pleased to have you with us. #SAvIND #INDvSA #ViratKohli pic.twitter.com/liHyR8m9C8
— Sir Dinda Fan (@GoatedDinda) January 21, 2022
No one
Le Virat kohli after scoring duck : pic.twitter.com/VbX0oeIqxr
— UmderTamker (@jhampakjhum) January 21, 2022
Disappointment is a such a ugly word, it should be called virat kohli. #ViratKohli
— Prayag (@theprayagtiwari) January 21, 2022
Come on @imVkohli pic.twitter.com/os7RGvyyJE
— ASmemesss (@asmemesss) January 21, 2022
