Xavier Bartlett faces wrath of Kohli fans online

Australia’s Xavier Bartlett had a memorable outing on Thursday, facing India in the second ODI at Adelaide Oval. It wasn’t short of a dream-come-true moment for the right-arm quick when he trapped Virat

Kohli in front, dismissing the Indian stalwart for the first time in international cricket. But he hardly knew that his achievement would turn into a nightmare. The die-hard fans of Kohli targeted the Aussie pacer after he dismissed the former Indian captain for a duck, his second consecutive on his professional return.

The dismissal triggered outrage on social media, with Kohli-fans flooding Bartlett’s Instagram account with abuse.

VIRAT KOHLI GONE FOR HIS SECOND DUCK OF THE SERIES!#AUSvIND | #PlayoftheDay | @BKTtires pic.twitter.com/jqIdvMeX9T

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) October 23, 2025

The young Queensland pacer, who boasts over 22,000 followers on the platform, hadn’t posted since August 1. However, his latest upload — featuring a photo with Kohli from the IPL — has since drawn over 4,400 comments and counting, many of them vile or mocking, repeatedly calling Kohli his “father.”

Speaking after Thursday’s match, Bartlett remained modest about claiming Kohli’s prized wicket, acknowledging the Indian great’s stature in world cricket. “Probably one of the best white-ball players of all time,” he told Fox Cricket. “Lucky to get him, I tried to bowl an outswinger, and it nipped back. Probably a bit of pure luck, but nice to see the back of him early.”

For Kohli, the dismissal added an unwanted first to his illustrious ODI career — back-to-back ducks, something he had never experienced before. It was also just the second time he’s been dismissed for a duck on Australian soil. The 36-year-old, who has already bid farewell to Test and T20 cricket, will have one last opportunity to find form in the third and final ODI at the SCG on Saturday.