NEW DELHI: The much-anticipated return of Virat Kohli to international cricket has hit a setback, as back-to-back ducks in the first two ODIs have sparked speculation that he may be nearing the end of his international career.

Interestingly, India's third and final ODI is scheduled in Sydney on Saturday - a venue where Kohli also played the last Test of his career during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in January this year.

Virat Kohli raises gloves after consecutive ducks, gesture sparks retirement buzz. Watch

Kohli's former Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) teammate, Parthiv Patel, has added fuel to the fire with a cryptic social media post. Patel's three-word message hinted that Sydney could mark the swansong of Kohli's career.

"Sydney it is!!" Parthiv posted on X, sparking speculation among fans that Sydney could be Kohli’s final outing for the Indian team.

While Rohit Sharma earned some respite with a gritty 73 off 97 balls, albeit in a losing cause, Kohli’s back-to-back ducks - his first-ever in international cricket - have left even his staunchest fans wondering if this might signal the twilight of his career.

Rohit first toured Australia during the 2007-08 CB Series, while Kohli made his senior team debut Down Under in the 2011-12 season, immediately making his mark with a Test century at Adelaide.

With no ODI series scheduled in Australia over the next two years, it seems unlikely that the duo will be seen donning the India blues in the country again anytime soon.