Virat Kohli vs Rishad Hossain: Why The Leg-Spinner Could Be A Threat For India Star?

Virat Kohli and Rishad Hossain [Source: @DrSanjay277, @saifahmed75/x.com]

India will be starting their Champions Trophy 2025 against Bangladesh on the 20th of February. The match between the two Asian rivals will be played at the Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara, India.

As the two teams prepare for the much anticipated clash, we will take a look at player face-off that could play a big role in deciding the fate of the game.

Virat Kohli is going to be an important cog for India during the match and the whole tournament. However, Bangladesh have a weapon that could hamper the outing of the Indian star.

Why Will Virat Kohli Be Important For India?

• Number three is the most important spot in any team's batting line-up in the ODIs. Kohli knows how to pace the innings at the number. He gets into his innings with singles and twos and then switches on the gear. Thus, he could be the fulcrum around which the Indian team build their innings.
• Virat Kohli has an average of 88.16 in ICC Champions Trophy. This speaks of the consistency he has shown in the tournament. Thus it is expected that he will switch himself on from game one of the tournament.
• In the only match, Kohli has played against Bangladesh in Champions Trophy, he has scored unbeaten 96 runs. This further proves, Kohli's importance in the game.

Virat Kohli vs Rishad Hossain

Table - Virat Kohli's record vs Rishad Hossain in T20Is

Virat Kohli has not yet played against Rishad Hossain in ODIs. In the only meeting that the two players, Kohli did not struggle much. If we look at this numbers, then one would feel that Kohli should not struggles against the bowler.

Why Rishad Hossain Could Be A Trouble For Virat Kohli?

Table - Virat Kohli's record vs Leg Spinners In ODIs

Virat Kohli has dominated the leg spinners mostly in his career. However, a few seasons back it was felt that he was struggling against the deliveries spinning away from him. 

He returned to his best against leg-spinners in 2023, however, since 2024 in the ODIs that Kohli has played he has struggled against this particular type of bowling. Not only has been dismissed frequently against them, he has also not been able to score runs quickly enough against the spinners. 

With his current susceptibility against the leg-spinners, Rishad Hossain could pose a huge threat against him during the Champions Trophy 2025 opening game.

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