Virat Kohli is known to be the most energetic player in the world. And this was also said by Kane Richardson indirectly, in the Unplayable Podcast. With the India tour of Australia coming closer, Richardson talked about a knock Kohli played against the team.
He said that while all of the Australian players had no energy left in them, Virat Kohli stood in the middle. Richardson also mentioned how tired the team felt in the game, giving examples of Pat Cummins and Matthew Wade. On the other hand, Kohli stood taking quick singles against Australia, as if he was not worried about the weather conditions.
1. India vs Australia, 2017: 2nd ODI
The match about which Kane Richardson talked in the podcast was during the Australia tour of India 2017. India had already won the first match, and in the second game, they decided to bat first after winning the toss. The weather was too hot for the game, and the Australian players felt the heat as they stood in the field for 50 overs.
Kane Richardson described the weather conditions of the game using the examples of Pat Cummins and Matthew Wade. He said that Wade was almost about to throw up, and he looked way too exhausted during the game. For Pat Cummins, Richardson recalled that Cummins stood at the esky of the field to get some cool breeze.
Pic Source: ESPNcricinfo
Zampa was providing the drink to Pat Cummins, as the bowler went for the run-up. He told Cummins that the delivery was about to be bowled, to which he replied by saying that he knew. But due to the low energy levels, even Pat Cummins was not able to be energetic in the game.
It should be noted that, at this time, Virat Kohli ended up scoring 92 runs off 107 balls with just 8 fours. This shows that the majority of the runs scored by Virat were from singles and doubles. Kane Richardson described it by saying that it seems Virat was running on a treadmill in a sort of air-conditioned room.
Pic Source: ESPNcricinfo
By the end of the first innings, India was able to set a total of 252 runs. In response, Australia tried its best to chase the total but fell prey to the Indian bowling line-up. They got all out for the score of just 202 runs, as India won the game by 50 runs. Virat Kohli received the Player of the Match award in this game for his brilliant knock.
2. Kohli Returns Against Australia
Virat Kohli will be marking his return to the ODI format with the series against Australia. For the same reason, the Indian team left the country on 15 October. With the ODI series starting from 19 October, the King will be coming back to rule against Australia.
Virat Kohli against Australia in ODIs:
- Innings: 48
- Not Out: 3
- Runs: 2451
- Average: 54.46
- Strike Rate: 93.69
- 100s: 8
- 50s: 15
But the contest won’t be easy for him this time. He will be playing an ODI match after his last game, which was against New Zealand in the Champions Trophy 2025 final. Still, Australia seems to be his favourite opponent in the ODI format. The last time India and Australia faced each other in this format, Kohli played a magnificent half-century knock,
Now, the King will be playing against Australia on their own turf. This is also expected to be the last time for Virat Kohli to be present in Australia before he calls off his retirement. Virat Kohli also has his eyes set on the 2027 World Cup, for which every game he plays will be important to get him selected for the squad.