Virat Kohli is one of the finest batters of his generation. But like any great player, even he has his blind spots.
Over the years, Kohli has faced the world's best bowlers with ease. Yet, one man seems to have cracked the code against him: England's Adil Rashid.
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Adil Rashid remains one of the few bowlers to consistently trouble Virat Kohli especially in ODIs. Their head-to-head numbers show a clear pattern: Kohli scores against him, but more often than not, Rashid has the last laugh.
Rashid's control, variation and game awareness have frequently put Kohli on the defensive, forcing errors even from one of the most assured batters in world cricket.
Adil Rashid on dominating Virat Kohli in head-to-head matchups
Adil Rashid has bowled many world-class batters but few rival the stature of Virat Kohli. Still, the England leggie holds a rare record against the Indian star: dismissing him more than most.
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In a recent conversation on the Bread Before Wicket podcast, Rashid opened up about this unusual trend and admitted he looks forward to bowling to Kohli because he genuinely believes he can get him out.
"I have got Kohli out quite a few times. When he comes to bat, I feel yes, I have got a chance to get him out. So I think yeah, I'd probably say Virat in that sense," said Rashid.
Virat Kohli vs Adil Rashid: Dismissals across formats
Rashid has dismissed Kohli 11 times across formats, including five times in ODIs.
| Format | Runs | Balls Faced | Dismissals | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 473 | 661 | 11 | 43.0 |
Why Virat Kohli struggles against Adil Rashid
Kohli's struggles against Rashid boil down to two key things. First, Rashid's googly-leg break mix often forces batters to guess and Kohli has misread the variations more than once.
Second, Kohli rarely steps out to spinners. This hesitation allows Rashid to spin the ball away from his bat or sneak through his defences.