"This guy hits him for fun" - Virat Kohli hails IPL 2025 teammate while revealing about the toughest bowlers he has faced [Watch]

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batting talisman Virat Kohli named West Indian spinner Sunil Narine as the toughest bowler that he has faced in T20 cricket. The 36-year-old added in jest that the current RCB captain Rajat Patidar does not have too much difficulty facing the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) spinner.

Kohli elaborated that he has found Narine hard to pick for a consistent period of time in the shortest format.

"Sunil Narine for a consistent amount of time. Still very difficult to pick. This guy [pointing towards Rajat Patidar] hits him for fun," Kohli said in reply to a question at a promotional event via RCB's X handle.

The right-handed batter said that former England paceman James Anderson in English conditions is the hardest bowler he has faced in Test cricket. The former RCB skipper also said that England's Adil Rashid is the toughest spinner he has faced in ODI cricket.

Virat Kohli's head-to-head against James Anderson in England Tests, Adil Rashid in ODIs and Sunil Narine in T20 cricket

Virat Kohli first faced James Anderson in England in 2014 and the pacer dismissed him on four occassions in the five-Test series. Seven years later, Anderson dismissed Kohli twice in another five-Test series in England. Kohli managed to score a mere 213 runs against Anderson in English conditions, 114 of which came in the 2018 tour to the country where India lost the series 4-1.

With Anderson retiring from international cricket in July 2024, the cricketing world will not be able to witness the Kohli versus Anderson duel later this year when India tour England for a five-Test series, the first of which starts at Edgbaston on June 20.

The 36-year-old has been dismissed by Adil Rashid on two occassions in ODIs, once in 2018 and the second time in 2025. He has scored 41 runs against the leg-spinner in three matches.

Kohli has fallen to Narine four times in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and has managed to score 136 runs against the spinner.