Virat Kohli is gearing up for the high-octane IPL 2025 clash between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. Leading up to this crucial encounter, the former RCB captain attended an event where he revealed the three toughest bowlers he faced throughout his career across all formats of the game.
Virat Kohli reveals three toughest bowlers he encountered across formats
In a video that has since gained considerable traction online, Virat Kohli identified England's James Anderson as the most formidable bowler he has faced in Test cricket. He further elaborated that playing against Anderson in the challenging conditions of England presented the toughest battles of his career in the longest format.
Moving to One Day Internationals, Virat Kohli named Lasith Malinga as the bowler he found most difficult to confront. He also made a special mention of Adil Rashid, admitting that he consistently struggled to read the English leg-spinner in the fifty-over format.
When discussing Twenty20 cricket, Kohli lauded the Kolkata Knight Riders' ace spinner Sunil Narine, acknowledging him as the toughest bowler he has faced in the shortest format of the game.
"In Test cricket. James Anderson in England was by far the toughest team went to cricket. I think Sunil Narine, for a consistent amount of time. Fifteen years. He's still very difficult to pick. This guy hits him for fun, but I can't. I can't pick him," Kohli said in the video.
"When it comes to T20 cricket, Kohli acknowledged Kolkata Knight Riders' mystery spinner Sunil Narine as the most difficult bowler to pick in the shortest format. "In ODIs, I think Malinga was pretty good. He was difficult to face. Adil Rashid is very good. He's probably the toughest ODI spinner that I've faced. He's very, very good," he added.
Watch the video here:
Reflecting on the compelling duels between Virat Kohli and James Anderson in Test cricket, statistics reveal that the accomplished English bowler has managed to dismiss the Indian maestro on seven occasions. In ODIs, while the battles have been intense, Lasith Malinga has only succeeded in taking Kohli's wicket twice. Similarly, Adil Rashid has also found success against Kohli, claiming his wicket on two instances in the 50-over format.
Turning to the fast-paced world of T20 cricket, Kohli admitted Sunil Narine as his most challenging opponent. Examining their head-to-head record, the numbers corroborate Kohli's assessment, with Narine having dismissed him four times in the shortest format. Their rivalry is well-documented, and fans eagerly anticipate their next encounter when Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Kolkata Knight Riders are scheduled to clash on May 17.
Kohli is enjoying a stellar run in the ongoing IPL 2025. In the ten matches played so far, he has amassed an impressive total of 443 runs which came at a robust average of 63.29.