Xavier Bartlett faced severe online trolling after dismissing Virat Kohli for a rare duck.
Adelaide
What should have been a career highlight quickly turned into an online nightmare for Australian pacer Xavier Bartlett, who became the latest target of irate cricket fans after dismissing Virat Kohli for a duck in the second ODI at the Adelaide Oval on Thursday. The 26-year-old Queensland quick trapped Kohli leg-before-wicket for zero — the Indian star’s second consecutive duck of the series and the first such instance in his illustrious international career.
While Bartlett’s breakthrough helped Australia secure a tense two-wicket win and clinch the three-match series, the reaction online was far from celebratory. Within hours of the game, Bartlett’s Instagram page was flooded with thousands of abusive comments from emotional Kohli supporters, with many calling him names and referring to the Indian batter as his “father.” His most recent post — a photo featuring Kohli from an IPL fixture — has drawn over 4,400 comments and continues to rise.
The trolling echoed a similar episode earlier in the series when Mitchell Starc faced social media vitriol after dismissing Kohli in Perth. Despite the hate, Bartlett received widespread support from teammates, fans, and commentators who condemned the online harassment as deeply unfair.
Speaking to Fox Cricket after the match, Bartlett remained composed, calling the wicket “a bit of pure luck.” He praised Kohli as “probably one of the best white-ball players of all time” and said it was special just to bowl to him.
Kohli’s back-to-back ducks mark a rare dip in form for the 36-year-old, who has already retired from Tests and T20Is. He will look to redeem himself in the third and final ODI at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday.