Star Australia pacer Kane Richardson has recalled an innings from ace India batter Virat Kohli, which, for him, showed why the latter was being considered one of the greatest ever in the sport. Even though Kohli has numerous starry knocks against Australia, Richardson remembers that special one.
On a podcast shared by cricket.com.au, Richardson recalled India’s ODI against Australia at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata in 2017, a match played under sweltering heat and intense humidity.
Kohli’s knock of 92 runs off 107 deliveries left a lasting impression on the Aussie cricketers, not only for its technical brilliance but for the brilliant physical endurance it demanded as well.
“I remember there was a game in Kolkata where it was so hot. Matty
Wade (Matthew Wade) was keeping, I remember he literally threw up as I was running in,” Richardson narrated.
This unsung Virat Kohli innings that lives rent free in Kane Richardson’s head 🥵#UnplayablePodcast #AUSvIND @qantas pic.twitter.com/JJjIoGTNns
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) October 16, 2025
The heat was so intense that the cricketers could not stay on their feet. As per Richardson, teammates Pat Cummins and Adam Zampa were not coping. Cummins was seen slumped on an Esky at the boundary, trying to recover.
“Zamps was giving him a drink and I was like, ‘Someone is running in to bowl,’ and Zamps goes, ‘Patty, the bowler’s running in,’ and he is like, ‘I know,’ still just sitting there. If the ball got hit to him, he would just get up,” Richardson narrated.
“We were literally dying and he is clipping a one or a two and running it like he is on a treadmill in air conditioning. You speak to anyone who was there that day, there is footage of guys wearing ice necklaces and no one had colour in their face,” Richardson added.
Kohli’s 92 from 107 deliveries, with just 32 runs coming from fours, played a crucial role in bagging India’s 50-run victory over Australia in the second ODI of the five-match series, which they went on to win 4-1.
Though not one of Kohli’s highest scores or most celebrated knocks, Richardson sees it as a defining moment, one that solidified the then-Indian skipper’s legendary stature.
“That one would not stick out to many people in terms of being the most high-profile. But I just remember that was when I was like, this guy is a completely different level, no matter the condition,” Richardson said.
