‘I didn’t understand it at first’: Virat Kohli admits he misread Australian crowds ahead of IND vs AUS 1st ODI in Perth

Devansh Poddar

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‘I didn’t understand it at first’: Virat Kohli admits he misread Australian crowds ahead of IND vs AUS 1st ODI in Perth image

Indian cricket star Virat Kohli, is finally back on the field playing for India as he makes his return to international cricket after a long 7-month break. 

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Virat saw his return for the 3-match ODI series against the World Champions, Australia, with the first game already underway at the Optus Stadium in Perth.

Ahead of the first ODI, the right-handed batsman opened up on his banters with the Australian crowd and described how few of the former players helped him see off the phase. 

Virat Kohli reflects on his past banters with Australian fans

Virat spoke to Ravi Shastri and Adam Gilchrist on Fox Cricket. He reflected on the much-deserved break that he got from International cricket after playing relentlessly for more than 15 years. 

In the very same conversation, Virat also reflected on how some of the former players helped him cope with the tough Australian crowds in his earlier days playing on the Australian soil. 

“I didn't understand it initially, to be honest. The guys that I played with, Kevin Pietersen...he told me something about playing in Australia, saying, 'you know you'd feel like they are at you the whole time, but in the back of their mind and in their heart, they really appreciate you standing up and playing that kind of cricket, so don't take it personally,” said Virat.

MORE: How much did Virat Kohli score today in India vs Australia 1st ODI 2025 match?

In his initial tours to Australia, Virat was seen involved in some heated exchanges with the fans. He was even fined for his riled-up gestures towards the crowd.

However, over the years, the batter enjoyed a lot of success in the nation and even ended up as the first Indian captain to win a Test series in Australia.

"If you just go out there and play competitive cricket, A. you will realize how good you can be as a cricketer, and B. you'll realize over a long period of time that that really helped shape your whole makeup and mental setup as a player, so I have nothing but gratitude for all those moments here and the crowd being at me regularly brought out the best from me..." added Virat.

What is Virat Kohli's record in Australia?

Australia has been the happiest hunting ground for Virat over the years. He started off his captaincy career for India in that very country, and his path to greatness was eventually paved with his exceptional performances against Australia in Australia. 

Virat Kohli's stats in Australia:

FormatMatchesInningsRunsAverage50s100sHS
Test1834154246.7247169
ODI3030132749.1465133*
T20I171674774.709090*

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Devansh Poddar

Devansh Poddar is a content producer for The Sporting News' India edition.