Virat Kohli has sparked excitement among fans after he was seen back in the nets, hinting at a possible return to international cricket. The legendary Indian batter posted a picture on Instagram with Naeem Amin, the assistant coach of the Gujarat Titans (GT) in the Indian Premier League (IPL), after what appeared to be a practice session.

Kohli captioned the picture, "Thanks for helping out with the hit brother. Always lovely to see you". This has led to speculation that Kohli is gearing up for the upcoming ODI series against Australia, scheduled to begin on October 19. India will tour Australia for a series of three ODIs and five T20Is. The ODI matches are set to take place in Perth (October 19), Adelaide (October 23), and Sydney (October 25).

The return to the nets comes after Kohli's retirement from Test and T20I cricket. He announced his retirement from Test cricket in May, ahead of India's tour of England. In 123 Test matches, Kohli scored 9,230 runs at an average of 46.85, including 30 centuries and 31 half-centuries. He also holds the record for the most successful Test captain for India, with 40 wins in 68 matches.

Despite his retirement from other formats, Kohli remains an active player in ODIs. His fans are hoping to see him score big in the upcoming tour of Australia. Kohli has a strong ODI record in Australia, with 1,327 runs in 29 matches at an average of 51.03, including five centuries and six half-centuries. In his previous ODI outing, he helped India win the ICC Champions Trophy, scoring 218 runs in five innings at an average of 54.50. This year, he has scored 275 runs in seven ODIs at an average of 45.83, with one century and two fifties.

In other news, a picture of Kohli with grey beard went viral. This isn't the first time Kohli's beard has attracted attention; a similar instance occurred in 2023 when a photo with his wife, Anushka Sharma, highlighted his greying beard.