Top 5 left-arm spinners who have been a nightmare for Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli, the Indian cricket team's captain and one of the best batsmen in the world, has had some difficulty playing against left-arm spin bowlers in the past. This has been particularly evident in matches played on pitches that offer more assistance to spin bowlers.

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It is not that the star player is troubled by spin in foreign conditions. At home too, Kohli has been outfoxed by spinners on multiple occasions. Given that the ODI World Cup 2023 is scheduled to be held in India, it puts more pressure on Kohli to get his spin issue sorted.

Let's have a look at the top 5 left-arm spinners who have troubled and continue to trouble Virat Kohli.

1.Mitchell Santner

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In the ongoing ODI series against New Zealand, former Indian skipper Virat Kohli was dismissed twice in a row by spinner Mitchell Santner. Interestingly, the two dismissals were in different manners. In the first ODI, Kohli was outsmarted by a quicker delivery that hit the top of the off stump.

In the second, he was deceived by flight and turn, missing the ball completely, and was stumped. Santner has now dismissed Kohli three times in ODI cricket, making him one of the few bowlers to have successfully dismissed the formidable batsman. He has also claimed Kohli's wicket once in T20Is as well.

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2. Ravindra Jadeja

Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja have not faced each other in international cricket, but their matchup is highly anticipated in the Indian Premier League. Kohli is known for being active during the middle overs, while Jadeja likes to keep things tight. Jadeja has had success against Kohli in the past, famously dismissing him in the 2018 edition and overall claiming his wicket thrice.

Kohli has scored 133 runs against Jadeja at a strike rate of 108.13. Jadeja's accuracy is what's often most troublesome for the right-hand star batter in the Indian T20 League.

3. Shakib Al Hasan

Shakib Al Hasan is a Bangladeshi left-arm spinner who has had success against Indian batsman Virat Kohli. He has dismissed Kohli a total of 5 times in 11 ODI matches, the highest by any spinner in the format. Shakib's quick arm action and ability to vary his pace often make it difficult for Kohli to maintain his tempo. He has also managed to claim Kohli's wicket once in the Indian T20 League and once in Test cricket.

4. Keshav Maharaj

South African spinner Keshav Maharaj successfully dismissed Virat Kohli in the third One Day International between India and South Africa in early 2022. The delivery spun heavily, causing Kohli to be caught in an awkward position as he had already shifted to his back foot and opened his body for a leg-side shot. The ball took the leading edge and left Kohli surprised at the crease. In addition to this instance, Maharaj has dismissed Kohli one more time in ODIs, and it was also a caught dismissal.

5. Taijul Islam

Bangladesh's left-arm spinner Taijul Islam was successful against Indian batsman Virat Kohli during India's tour of Bangladesh in December 2022. Taijul's highly repeatable action and accuracy in line and length consistently troubled Kohli. He was dismissed once with a delivery that forced him to play on the leg side, beating his bat and trapping him in front of the stumps.

Although Kohli has had some bad luck and faced good deliveries, his performance against spin bowling has not been up to par, which is surprising considering his early success against spin. Taijul has dismissed Kohli twice in Test cricket, both times via lbw.