Virat Kohli is again staring at the same uncomfortable pattern: a sequence of three straight innings ending with a duck. It has happened twice in under a year, underlining how quickly form can swing in the T20 format. In October 2025, Kohli was unable to score in successive meetings against Australia, and only seven months later, he finds himself back in the same predicament. Once considered a serious contender for the Orange Cap, Kohli has now slipped out of the top ten after consecutive scoreless outings against Lucknow Super Giants and Mumbai Indians. The situation became even more painful when his most recent duck came on the very first ball of the innings, taking his IPL tally of golden ducks to eight.
The match also featured a notable contribution at the top of the order. Kohli’s opening partner, Jacob Bethell, was included in the XI after Phil Salt returned home, and Bethell made 27 runs to keep the chase moving. His knock drew praise from former England spinner Phil Tufnell, who is part of a group of cricket voices taking part in the podcast “Stick to Cricket” alongside David Lloyd, Alastair Cook and Michael Vaughan. With Kohli’s first-ball dismissal naturally dominating conversation, the four Englishmen traded light-hearted reactions about the incident during the recording, mixing roast-style humour with genuine cricket insight.
Tufnell led the banter by reacting to Bethell’s innings, saying, “Jacob Bethell got 27. Oh, lovely knock,” before Lloyd added, “So, the mischief of this. I mentioned that word again, is that you can learn so much from batting with Virat Kohli, you’re out first ball.” The remarks were met with an extended burst of laughter, as the group leaned into the kind of British humour that turns a tough moment into a memorable talking point.
How Kohli responded last time
Questions naturally followed about what happens when Kohli endures a hat-trick of ducks. With Royal Challengers Bengaluru set to face Kolkata Knight Riders in the coming hours, the Knights will be hoping Kohli’s wicket is again an early one, with assistant coach Shane Watson looking for a repeat of that kind of impact. Still, Watson will also be aware that the last time opponents wished for a hat-trick of Kohli ducks, the script flipped dramatically in Kohli’s favour.
The sequence began with two scoreless starts in Perth and Adelaide, but it did not turn into a longer spiral of failure. Instead, Kohli responded with a measured and commanding knock of 74 in Sydney, putting the ducks firmly behind him. Since then, he has carried that momentum into the wider international arena, and the current stretch is built on numbers that suggest he is very difficult to stop once he gets his timing right.
In his most recent run of ODI cricket for India, Kohli has produced three centuries and three fifties across his last seven matches, making him look almost unstoppable. Even the decision to retire from Test cricket—completed a year ago—appears to have freed up an even more assertive version of his game as he turns his attention towards next year’s World Cup in South Africa. With additional ODI opportunities already on the calendar, including three matches against Afghanistan next month and another trio of games in England in July, Kohli is clearly determined to chase silverware at the highest level.
For now, though, the spotlight remains on franchise cricket and the immediate goals of Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Before the larger international targets come into full focus, Kohli still has unfinished business with the team: guide RCB into the playoffs and try to repeat last year’s title-winning success. If history is any guide, even a rough spell of ducks might not be the end of the story—it could be the opening act before a bigger turnaround.
