India, May 13 -- For the second time in less than a year, Virat Kohli finds himself sitting on a hat-trick of ducks. In October, 2025, he failed to get off the mark in two consecutive matches against Australia, and seven months later, he is in the same boat again. Once in contention for the Orange Cap, Kohli, after back-to-back ducks against Lucknow Super Giants and Mumbai Indians, has slipped out of the top 10. To make matters worse, his second duck was a first-baller, handing him his eighth golden duck in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

In the same match, Kohli's opening partner Jacob Bethell, drafted into the XI after Phil Salt flew back home, scored 27 and earned praise from former England spinner Phil Tufnell. Tufnell, along with D...