‘Form Is Just a Word for Him’: Arshdeep Singh Backs Kohli After Duck on Return

Batting legend Virat Kohli came under scrutiny once again after registering a duck in his comeback match against Australia in Perth, marking a disappointing return to international cricket after a seven-month hiatus. Kohli, dismissed for nought after facing just eight balls, fell to a familiar weakness — chasing a delivery outside off stump and offering a catch to point in an attempt to break free.

Despite the setback, teammate Arshdeep Singh expressed full confidence in the former captain’s ability to bounce back. Speaking after the first ODI, the young pacer said Kohli’s experience and pedigree make him immune to discussions about form.

“Form is just a word for him. He has played more than 300 ODIs for India — he knows how to get going,” Arshdeep said. “It’s a blessing to share the dressing room with him. Going forward in the series, I feel there will be a lot of runs for him. Talking about this format, he has mastered it. I don’t know how he feels about it personally — maybe I’ll ask him and tell you at the next press conference.”

Kohli, who retired from Tests and T20Is earlier this year to focus solely on the 2027 World Cup, returned to India’s ODI setup following the team’s Champions Trophy triumph in March. With two matches remaining in the series, the 36-year-old will be under pressure to rediscover his rhythm.

‘Rain Breaks Affected Batters’ Focus’

Reflecting on India’s innings in Perth, Arshdeep also pointed out that frequent rain interruptions made batting difficult despite a decent surface.

“It was a good wicket once you spent some time on it. We saw that with the partnership between KL [Rahul] and Axar [Patel], the runs were coming. But the start-stop play made it tough for batters to maintain concentration,” he said.

The left-arm seamer also credited the Australian bowlers for maintaining discipline and exploiting the conditions well.

“They bowled in good areas and got a lot of help from the wicket. Credit where it’s due — they bowled really well,” Arshdeep added.

Kohli and India will now look to regroup ahead of the second ODI, hoping to level the series and silence critics questioning the star batter’s form.