Virat Kohli struggles against leg spinners
Virat Kohli’s highly anticipated start to the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 turned out to be a frustrating one, as his struggles against leg-spin resurfaced in India’s opening clash against Bangladesh. So Let’s take a look at Virat Kohli struggles against leg spinners.
The Indian batting stalwart, known for his ability to dominate bowlers, once again fell to a leg-spinner—this time, Bangladesh’s Rishad Hossain—managing just 22 runs off 38 balls in an unconvincing innings.
Chasing a modest target of 229, India got off to a flying start with Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill putting together a rapid 69-run partnership. But Rohit’s dismissal slowed down the momentum, and Kohli found himself struggling to break free against disciplined Bangladesh bowling.
Recognizing Kohli’s discomfort, Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto deployed spin from both ends, effectively applying pressure.
Kohli, unable to accelerate, eventually attempted a square cut off Rishad Hossain, only to misjudge the bounce and hand an easy catch to point. It was a familiar sight for cricket fans, as this marked the third consecutive time a leg-spinner had dismissed him. As Kohli walked back disappointed, questions about his vulnerability against leg-spin resurfaced.
Despite the underwhelming knock, Kohli did reach a significant milestone during the match.
With his 22-run innings, he surpassed Ricky Ponting to become the second-highest run-scorer in ICC ODI events. Kohli’s tally now stands ahead of Ponting’s 2,336 runs in 60 innings, he took 50 innings to cross Ponting’s record. However, he still trails India’s legendary Sachin Tendulkar, who holds the top spot with 2,719 runs in 58 innings.
While milestones continue to pile up in Kohli’s illustrious career, his inability to tackle leg-spin remains a glaring concern. With crucial matches ahead, India will hope their batting maestro finds a way to counter this weakness and return to his dominant best.
Earlier in the game, Rohit Sharma’s team put up a disciplined bowling display to restrict their opponents in Dubai. Despite some resistance from Jaker Ali and Towhid Hridoy, Bangladesh could only manage to post a total of 228 runs in the first innings. Mohammed Shami bagged a five-wicket haul for India, while Harshit Rana, who was selected in place of Arshdeep Singh, took three wickets.
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