"Form is just a word for him" - Team India pacer defends Virat Kohli after star batter's duck in IND vs AUS 2025 1st ODI

Team India left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh defended veteran batter Virat Kohli after the latter was dismissed without scoring in the Perth ODI against Australia. Asserting that form is just a word for the batting superstar, he backed Kohli to score big runs in the upcoming games.

Australia beat India by seven wickets [DLS method] in the first ODI in Perth on Sunday, October 19. Sent into bat in a stop-start match that was eventually reduced to 26 overs per side, the Men in Blue were held to 136-9.

Kohli, playing his first international match since March, looked completely out of touch and perished for an eight-ball duck. After struggling for rhythm, he flashed at a wide delivery from Mitchell Starc and was caught at backward point. At the post-match press conference, Arshdeep downplayed Kohli's failure with the willow and commented (via Revsportz):

“He (Virat Kohli) has played more than 300 ODIs for India, so form is just a word for him, he knows how to get going, and it’s like a blessing to be in the same dressing room with him. Going forward, I feel there’ll be a lot of runs for him in this series as well, and talking about the format he is playing, he has mastered this one.”

Before Kohli, Rohit Sharma, also playing his first game for India since the Champions Trophy final, perished for eight. New ODI skipper Shubman Gill (10) and vice-captain Shreyas Iyer (11) fell cheaply too as India stumbled to 45-4. Some middle and lower-order resistance from Axar Patel (31), KL Rahul (38) and Nitish Reddy (19*) lifted India past the 135 mark.

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"Both of them are proper bowler’s captains" - Arshdeep Singh on playing for India under Gill and Rohit

The Perth game was Gill's first match in charge as Team India's ODI captain. He was named Rohit's replacement ahead of the series. Asked about the difference between the two leaders, Arshdeep said:

“ODIs I have played very less, so I can’t tell the difference yet, but I’d say both of them are proper bowler’s captains. They give you proper freedom, and even today Shubman, whatever plans we had, he said, ‘bowl freely to your plans and just enjoy the moment’. We knew we didn’t have that many runs but we just wanted to express ourselves, that was his message."

Arshdeep got the big wicket of Travis Head (8) in Perth and ended with figures of 1-31 from five overs. Mitchell Marsh (46*) guided Australia in a revised chase of 131. The second ODI of the series will be played in Adelaide on October 23.