Virat Kohli Vs Abrar Ahmed: Why The Leg-Spinner Can Be A Threat For India Star?

Abrar Ahmed and Virat Kohli [Source: @IF7____/X.com]

India and Pakistan reignite their storied rivalry in a high-stakes Champions Trophy clash on February 23 in Dubai. With Pakistan reeling from a 60-run defeat to New Zealand in their opener, the Men in Green face a virtual knockout scenario. India, fresh off a six-wicket win against Bangladesh, aims to secure progression while avenging their 2017 final defeat to their arch-rivals.

Virat Kohli is a proven match-winner in big-ticket games, especially against Pakistan. Who can forget the classic salvation of India's chase against the Men in Green back in the T20 World Cup 2022? Nevertheless, the Indian maestro also has his weakness on show. Let's take a look at how Kohli will fare against the Pakistan spinner in the Champions Trophy clash.

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Why Will Virat Kohli Be Important For India?

• As stated previously, Virat Kohli has been a match-winner for India against most of the Pakistan clashes. He has garnered an impressive average of 52.1 in the 16 ODI innings he played against Pakistan, establishing his grip on the high-stakes rivalry.
• At no. 3, he stands to be a major anchor after Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill. Though Kohli has been a bit slow in the CT opener against Bangladesh, his strike rate of 100.3 against Pakistan in ODIs cements his firework ability in the upcoming clash.
• Further, Kohli has an average of 78.7 in Champions Trophy games with a strike rate of 90.2, which will make him a key player to watch out for against Pakistan.

Virat Kohli vs Abrar Ahmed

Virat Kohli has not yet faced Abrar Ahmed in any game. However, looking at the recent form of the modern-day maestro, Ahmed can be a threat against Kohli with his leg-spin skills. While Kohli’s pedigree is undisputed, his recent dismissals highlight a chink in his armour, one Pakistan will aim to target.

Notably, Abrar Ahmed however possesses the skills to outfox the batters as seen in his recent form in ODIs boasting figures of 2-41 and 4-27 in Test against West Indies.

Table - Abrar Ahmed's stats in ODIs

Why Abrar Ahmed Could Be A Trouble For Virat Kohli?

Virat Kohli’s recent vulnerability against leg-spin could prompt Pakistan to deploy Abrar Ahmed strategically in their high-stakes clash. The right-arm wrist-spinner, known for his sharp turn, may be introduced early by skipper Mohammad Rizwan to exploit Kohli’s tentative form against the craft. 

Table - Virat Kohli vs Leg-Spinner in ODIs

During India’s recent ODI series against England, Adil Rashid dismissed Kohli twice, exposing his struggles to read variations. The trend continued in the Champions Trophy opener, where Bangladesh’s Rishad Hossain outfoxed the star batter, amplifying concerns over his ability to counter leg-spin.

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