The cricketing world was left stunned at the Adelaide Oval as Virat Kohli walked back for a duck — his second consecutive in the series — during the second ODI against Australia. But what caught everyone off guard wasn’t his dismissal; it was his reaction afterward.

The usually fiery and animated Kohli — known for his intensity — did not show any frustration or anger after being trapped lbw by Xavier Bartlett’s sharp nip-backer. Instead, the former captain stood still for a moment, gazed around the stands, and acknowledged the Adelaide crowd with a gentle raise of his bat, drawing an emotional roar from the fans.

This simple gesture has now triggered a wave of speculation online — is Virat Kohli hinting at retirement from ODIs?

Kohli’s calm demeanor, combined with the emotional acknowledgment of the crowd at one of his most successful overseas venues, has left fans divided. While some believe this could be his farewell to ODI cricket, others think the moment was a heartfelt thank-you to Adelaide, a ground where he has scripted many memorable innings over the years.

Social media is flooded with reactions — “It looked like a goodbye,” wrote one user, while another commented, “Maybe he’s just thanking the ground that gave him some of his best memories.” The phrase “Thank you Adelaide” began trending within minutes of his dismissal.

The speculation gains further traction following Kohli’s recent retirement from Test cricket, which ended a glorious 14-year chapter where he scored 9,230 runs in 123 Tests at an average of 46.85. Having already stepped away from T20Is, Kohli’s subdued farewell at Adelaide feels like a continuation of this phase of quiet goodbyes.

Adding to the sentiment, former India coach Ravi Shastri said in a recent interview that both Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s legacies are untouchable, regardless of when they decide to hang up their boots. “Their contribution is over a decade and a half. People won’t forget that,” Shastri said.

As of now, there has been no official word from Kohli or the BCCI about his future in ODIs. However, for fans at Adelaide and around the world, the image of Virat Kohli walking off quietly, acknowledging the stands instead of raging against his dismissal, felt like more than just another innings — it felt like the beginning of the end of an era.

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