The Bowler Who Troubled Virat Kohli Most in IPL – And It’s Not Bumrah

Virat Kohli, the blue-collar hard worker for Royal Challengers Bangalore, continues to etch his name into the annals of IPL with his awe-inspiring consistency. Being 2025 stats, scoring 8,509 runs from 263 matches at 39.58 with death strike rate of 132.60, 8 hundreds and 62 fifties, and with a highest among 113* in IPL history.

However, in the ongoing IPL 2025 season, Virat Kohli has been untouchable. He has raked in 505 runs in 11 matches at an astounding average of 63.13 and with a striking rate of 143.46. Kohli’s best of this season remains 73*, while he has knocked off 7 fifties, leading the charts for most half-centuries this season.

Virat Kohli: The Run Machine of Indian Cricket

Early Life and Times

Born in Delhi on November 5, 1988, Virat Kohli was a boy very much drawn towards the sport. He underwent training at the West Delhi Cricket Academy and rapidly dominated the scene in age-group cricket at all levels.

Entering International Stardom

The world took note of Kohli during the 2008 ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup when he captained India to win it. He was soon bestowed again with an almost youthful honour of making his debut for India in ODIs in August 2008 against Sri Lanka. He proved his mettle and cemented his place in the team.

Captaincy and Records

He was made captain of the Test team in 2014, replacing MS Dhoni, after which he progressed to be named ODI and T20 captain. Kohli came up with such records as:

Fastest to reach 8,000, 9,000, 10,000, and 12,000 ODI runs.

Highest number of hundreds in run chases in ODIs.

Highest average among the contemporary batsmen across all the formats.

Playing Style and Strengths

Run-chase master with hitting style and utmost fitness, Kohli poses an awe-inspiring sight. Wristy shots, cover drives-Who-o-wouldn’t-admire-them? Kohli dates Old School while melding thumping Charisma from the New Age.

Off the Field: Personal Life

Virat married Bollywood star Anushka Sharma in December 2017. The couple has a daughter, Vamika, born in January 2021. He is also a keen promoter of fitness and animal rights.

Brand Kohli

Besides cricket, Kohli is the world’s most marketable sports person. He promotes several brands and has his own fashion brand, WROGN, and gym chain, Chisel.

Legacy and Impact

Kohli is generally considered to be one of the best batsmen ever. His energy, reliability, and leadership have motivated countless young cricketers not just in India but also around the world.

Bowlers Who Have Dismissed Kohli The Most in IPL

Though Kohli has outsmarted many bowlers before, there have been bowlers who have beaten him consistently. Contrary to perceptions, Bumrah is not the one bowler who has dismissed Kohli the highest times in the IPL. The top three bowlers that have dismissed Kohli the most are:

Sandeep Sharma – 7 Wickets
Sandeep tops the list with an astounding seven Kohli scalps in 15 IPL matches. Against Sandeep, Kohli has scored 87 runs off 67 balls at a strike rate of 129.85, which shows some sort of respect for the bowler.

Ashish Nehra – 6 Wickets
The experienced fast bowler has dismissed Kohli six times in just ten innings. These dismissals against Kohli by Nehra would have accumulated in the early days of the IPL, where he was an important performer for both Delhi Daredevils

Jasprit Bumrah – 5 Dismissals
With his yorkers and skills at the death, Jasprit Bumrah has been the bane of Kohli in the IPL five times. The tussle has been talked about at RCB versus Mumbai Indians matches, where both have risen to the challenge when it mattered.

The statistics speak of the IPL being such a competitive arena that even the best batsmen like Kohli have been victimized by some good bowling. Fans would be hoping to watch more of such big battles between bat and ball throughout the remaining fixtures of the tournament.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. Who has dismissed Virat Kohli most number of times in the IPL?
A1. Sandeep Sharma is the highest wicket-taker of Virat Kohli in the IPL. He has dismissed Kohli 7 times.

Q2. Has Ashish Nehra dismissed Virat Kohli more times than Bumrah?
A2. Yes, Ashish Nehra has dismissed Kohli more than six times in the IPL, a statistic higher than what Bumrah has.

Q3. Is Virat Kohli the highest run-scorer in IPL history?
A3. Yes, indeed; Virat Kohli has scored over 8,500 runs, making him the highest run-scorer in IPL history.

Q4. What makes Sandeep Sharma so effective against Virat Kohli?
A4. A strength of Sharma has been bowling initially in the innings, something Virat Kohli has had a hard time, batting at the top of the order.

Q5. Who is the most frequent wicket-taker of Virat Kohli in death overs?
A5. Jasprit Bumrah is acclaimed for his death bowling, and he has dismissed Kohli during death overs several times.