
indian cricket icon Rohit Sharma And Virat Kohli Made his much-awaited return to the national team in the first ODI against Australia In Perth. The pair were last seen together ICC Champions Trophy In February, where India won the title. After taking a break from the game following their T20I and Test retirements, both players were under the scanner as they stepped back into the 50-over format. Although he looked physically fit and sharp, his performance with the bat was not up to expectations.
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s bad start while returning to ODI
Rohit started his innings with trademark elegance and hit a brilliant cover drive early on. However, the flow soon faded as the Australian seamer Josh Hazlewood Extracted bounce and bustle from the vibrant surface of Perth. Rohit, trying to move down the line, got an outside edge which reached the slip cordon neatly. His short stay at the crease highlighted his lack of rhythm – understandable after a long period away from competitive cricket.
On the other hand, Kohli’s dismissal rekindled an old concern. Chasing a wide delivery from Mitchell StarcThe former captain delivered the ball straight to the point fielder. It was a familiar pattern – Kohli’s eagerness to drive outside the off-stump once again led to his downfall. While his intention was clear, the execution faltered, as the wicket offered little seam movement throughout the innings. Kohli has built his career on timing and accuracy, but the early dismissal underlined the challenge of returning to form after months away from international action.
Questions are hanging over 2027 World Cup ambitions
Both Rohit and Kohli are eyeing a place in India’s 2027 ODI World Cup campaign, but their recent struggles could complicate matters. The selectors and management are likely to assess his consistency and impact through this series. With the emergence of the new generation of Indian batsmen, the competition for middle and top-order positions has intensified. A few low scores may not define his career, but consistent failures may force selectors to look elsewhere.
Nevertheless, fans and pundits alike believe that the experienced pair needs just one solid innings to regain their form. With two matches left in the series, the focus will be on their ability to adapt and perform against the strong Australian bowling attack.
Also read: Rohit Sharma vs Mitchell Starc in ODI: The final duel that will define AUS vs IND 50 over series
Fans expressed disappointment over Rohit and Kohli’s dismissal
The pair’s failure caused an uproar on social media, with fans trolling both Rohit and Kohli for their underwhelming returns. There was a flood of memes and sarcastic posts on X (formerly Twitter), with many users expressing their disappointment at his dismissal. Some fans urged patience, citing his long layoff, while others questioned his place in the team ahead of the 2027 World Cup cycle.
Here’s how fans reacted:
– Out of Context Cricket (@GemsOfCricket) 19 October 2025
India’s top 3 were out within the first 9 overs.
– Sarang Bhalerao (@bhaleraosarang) 19 October 2025
Big moment in Perth when Virat Kohli got out without troubling the scorers#ViratKohli #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/8n8K5rhm1R
– CricketTimes.com (@CricketTimesHQ) 19 October 2025
#INDvsAUS
From Gautam Gambhir to Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma pic.twitter.com/Kgu5pIoOb0– theboysthing (@theboysthing07) 19 October 2025
Agarkar and Gambhir are watching Rohit and Kohli pic.twitter.com/WDKYW1vwDo
– Sagar (@sagarcasm) 19 October 2025
got up and looked
Kohli – 0(8)
Rohit – 8 (14) #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/OmLGC3X0zu– Bheem ☝︎ (@Turbodrive15) 19 October 2025
Woke up at 8am on Sunday and saw only Rohit 8(14) and Kohli 0(8).pic.twitter.com/SZRK5u2hWM
– Arjun* (@mxtavers) 19 October 2025
From Gambhir to Rohit and Kohli are in the dressing room right now pic.twitter.com/MbNJBmF2TY
– Ibuka (@iamsportsgeek) 19 October 2025
Rohit Sharma looked good but was out for 8, while Virat Kohli was out for zero.#INDvsAUS pic.twitter.com/l90Sw3BHfL
– Shivam Dubey 🇮🇳 (@ShivamDubeYspn) 19 October 2025
Rohit and Kohli fans are finding a way to blame GG pic.twitter.com/B1RXvgscmY
— ɥsʎn∀🇮🇳 (@IYU5H) 19 October 2025
Rohit-Kohli together again after such a long wait!#INDvsAUS #AUSvIND #RohitSharma𓃵 #kohli pic.twitter.com/nm9jviWfFM
– Vivek Mishra (@vivek121001) 19 October 2025
I felt that as soon as I wake up, I will get to see the batting of Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma. #INDvsAUS #Stop
– Hardik Gohil (@GohilHardy) 19 October 2025
Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli will have such dangerous performance that even their father cannot drop them from the team.
Meanwhile Ro-Ko #INDvAUS #INDvsAUS #AUSvIND #RohitSharma #ViratKohli #AUSvsIND pic.twitter.com/bBfLB2kaOX
-Kuldeep Singh (@Kuldeep0745) 19 October 2025
We waited for a long time for the return of Rohit and Kohli..
Now, Rohit, Kohli, Gill out…..😭😭#INDvsAUS #Rohit #kohli pic.twitter.com/SUNaw2YGXD
– Dheeraj Sharma (@Dsharmaaa96) 19 October 2025
See also: Virat Kohli’s autograph ahead of Australia ODI series fills young Indian fan with joy


