6 bowlers who have dismissed Virat Kohli in all three formats

Indian captain, Virat Kohli is undoubtedly one of the best batsmen in the history of cricket. With over 20,000 international runs in the last decade, there is no player who can match the consistency levels of Virat. He has set new benchmarks in the batting department thanks to his never ending hunger for runs.

Be it playing patiently in the red ball cricket or taking the charge in the limited overs format, Kohli can do it all. He is slowly inching towards Sachin Tendulkar’s record of most ODI hundreds apart from the bunch of records that the Delhi-born superstar has already shattered.

However, despite his dominance in the batting department, there have been a few bowlers who have troubled him with their skills. In fact, these players have got the better of Kohli in all three formats. Here is a list of those bowlers who have sent the right-handed batsman back to the pavilion in Tests, ODIs and T20Is.

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#6 Pat Cummins (Australia)

Australia v India - 3rd Test: Day 1

The first name on the list is Australia fast bowler Pat Cummins. Cummins has often troubled Kohli with his bowling and even in the Test series played between the two teams earlier this year, Pat had dismissed him thrice.

The first time the Australian got the wicket of Virat in Tests was at Ranchi when the Aussies toured India in 2017.

As far as ODI cricket is concerned, Cummins has scalped the prized wicket of the Indian skipper only once. It happened during the 2nd ODI of the ODI series played in March 2019. Kohli had scored 116 runs before he was caught by Marcus Stoinis off the pacer's bowling.

While the aforementioned incidents took place in the recent past, the only occasion when the Australian claimed Virat's wicket in T20I cricket happened in 2012.

It was during a group stage match of the 2012 ICC World T20 where Cummins took the wicket at the R. Premadasa Stadium.

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#5 Graeme Swann (England)

England v India - 5th Natwest One Day International Series

English off-spinner, Graeme Swann had troubled the Indian batsman a lot with his spin, especially in the 2012-13 season. In fact, he had claimed the wicket of Virat in the first Test match that the Indian player played versus England. Swann got Kohli out thrice in that 4-match series.

When India had visited England for a full-fledged tour in 2011, the off-spinner had dismissed Virat three times in the 5-match series.

In the final ODI, Swann had got him out hit wicket when he was well set on 107. Also, when England toured India later that year, Kohli lost his wicket to the off-spinner in the ODI played at Mohali.

Just like Cummins, Swann had claimed Kohli’s wicket during the 2012 ICC World T20. Coincidentally, the venue was the same as when the Australian had achieved the feat, namely the R. Premadasa Stadium.

#4 Steven Finn (England)

Steven Finn (R)

Another Englishman to feature on this special list is right-arm fast bowler, Steven Finn. The youngest-ever debutant for Middlesex County Cricket Club, Finn had become one of the most dangerous English bowlers at the international level.

Through his career, the tall fast bowler dismissed Kohli in Test matches only once and that instance happened in 2012 when Finn got him out caught behind at Eden Gardens.

In ODI cricket, the pacer claimed Virat's wicket in Brisbane during the tri-nation series also featuring hosts, Australia. Kohli had only scored 4 runs in that innings.

Besides, Finn scalped Kohli's wicket in T20Is during the only T20I played between India and England in 2014. The breakthrough helped England win the game by 3 runs as Kohli was batting on 66 before he lost his wicket.

Thus, despite the pacer not being a part of England's team in the recent past, he can lay claim to a unique record.

#3 Moeen Ali (England)

Moeen Ali (L)

The Indian batsmen had made a habit of gifting their wickets to English spinners and just like Swann, Moeen Ali too troubled India in all formats of the game.

The Worcestershire all-rounder has dismissed Kohli twice in Tests with the first dismissal coming at the Dr. YS Rajasekhara Reddy Cricket Stadium in 2016 whereas the latest occasion where he claimed Kohli’s wicket in the longest format was at The Rose Bowl in 2018, where he took the Indian captain's wicket in the 2nd innings.

Moeen also dismissed Kohli during the 2nd ODI of the 3-match series played between the two sides in 2018.

As for the T20I format, Ali had scalped the right-handed batsman’s wicket in 2017 at Green Park.

It is interesting to note that despite not being so highly rated, the English spinner has dismissed Virat in all formats of cricket.

#2 Darren Sammy - West Indies

ICC World Twenty20 India 2016: Semi-Final: West Indies v India

Perhaps, the most surprising name on this list is the former West Indies captain, Darren Sammy. Though he did not achieve much success as an individual player in international cricket, the all-rounder proved himself as one of the best T20I captains of all time. Till date, he is the only skipper to have won the T20 World Cup twice.

Talking about his presence on this elite list, the right-arm medium pace bowler had got Virat Kohli's wicket in Tests back in 2011 when the young Kohli was playing his first Test series. Sammy took his wicket in the final Test of the series where Kohli edged the ball to wicket-keeper Carlton Baugh.

In ODI cricket, Sammy dismissed Kohli twice. The first of the two instances happened during the same tour when Sammy got him out for a golden duck in the 3rd match and the second time he got the better of Virat was during an ODI series played between the two sides in 2013.

Coincidentally, Sammy claimed the wicket of Virat in the T20I format during the latter's first tour to West Indies. Thus, Sammy became the first bowler to achieve this unique feat and now, talking about the latest entry on this list...

#1 Kagiso Rabada - South Africa

Kagiso Rabada (L)

South Africa fast bowler, Kagiso Rabada became the sixth bowler in cricket history to dismiss Kohli in all three formats when he sent the Indian skipper back to the pavilion in the T20I played at Bengaluru on the 22nd of September, 2019.

The Delhi Capitals player had scalped Virat’s wicket in Tests when India toured the rainbow nation in 2018. It was during the 2nd innings of the final Test match that Rabada rattled the stumps (pictured above) of the Indian captain.

In the ODI format, Rabada has picked the wicket of Virat on two occasions. Both the instances happened in the 2015 ODI series between India and South Africa as Rabada claimed his wicket in the 4th and the 5th ODI of the series.