IND vs ENG, ODI World Cup 2023: Virat Kohli trolled by England's Barmy Army after rare duck; Indian fans return the favour with Joe Root

Add as a preferred source on Google

The notorious Barmy Army of England, known for their vocal support and occasional light-hearted teasing of opposition players, didn't miss the chance to have some fun at the expense of Virat Kohli during the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup 2023.

In the match between India and England at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow, Kohli - the former Indian captain and batting mainstay - faced a rare dismissal for a 9-ball duck. Kohli's average against England is below 50.

Left-arm English pacer David Willey got the prized wicket in the seventh over of the Indian innings, which left the Indian team in a tight spot. Kohli's unfortunate dismissal, his first duck in the tournament, didn't go unnoticed by the mischievous Barmy Army. They took to their handle on X, formerly called Twitter, to share a playful taunt.

The Barmy Army created a humourous image by photoshopping Kohli's face onto a duck swimming in the water. The witty gesture was a light-hearted way to tease the Indian cricket icon, who holds the title of the leading run-scorer in ICC World Cup history.

The Barmy Army's sense of humour and quick wit have long been part of the cricketing landscape, adding a touch of fun to the game. As the ICC World Cup 2023 continues to deliver thrilling moments and surprises, fans can expect more entertaining banter and jests from passionate cricket enthusiasts like the Barmy Army.

After inviting India to bat first, England pacers put up a great show with the new balls and prevented an in-form Indian batting line-up from getting to a good start. India lost the wickets of Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer, along with Kohli, and found themselves on sticky wickets.

Captain Rohit Sharma top-scored 87 on a surface that was aiding the bowlers. KL Rahul and Suryakumar Yadav also played some good knocks but threw their wickets away at crucial stages as the home side couldn't post a decent total on the board as they could only muster 229/9 in 50 overs.

Meanwhile, Indian pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami pushed England on the backfoot in the run chase by getting two wickets each. Bumrah dismissed Dawid Malan and Joe Root off successive balls to give his team an explosive start in the first powerplay.

Root was dismissed for a first-ball duck after getting trapped in front. His dismissal gave an opportunity to the Indian fans to give back to the 'Barmy Army'. Bharat Army, the Indian counterpart of the English fan club, wrote on X, "Just out for an evening walk. (with Joe Root image)."