Maybe it would have been best if Gautam Gambhir hadn’t called Virat Kohli up for the 3-match ODI series against Sri Lanka. The modern 50-over great has a stupendous record in the limited-overs format and should have rather extended his stay with his family rather than struggle on a slow and spin-friendly pitch in Colombo.
He deserved some time to kick up his feet after a long and arduous IPL 2024 season, which was followed directly by the T20 World Cup. But with the ICC Champions Trophy in mind, Gambhir decided that it’d be best for India and Kohli that he be present in Sri Lanka. Given that just 6 ODIs were left before the tournament starts in February next year, it was a good call to get Kohli back in ODIs. It’s fair to say neither Gambhir nor Kohli thought it’d blow up in their faces.
Virat Kohli’s issues vs spin
Kohli faced just 69 deliveries in the 3-match series. Given how the surface in Colombo helps the spinners, just 20% of the balls he faced were from fast bowlers. We know how good Kohli is against the spinners, but he’s on a different level when it comes to facing pace.
All three of his dismissals came against spin, and that too against those who can take the ball away from him. It was leg-spinners Wanindu Hasaranga and Jeffrey Hasaranga in the first two games and left-arm orthodox spinner Dunith Wellalage in the last match.
His overall record against both types of spinners is exceptional, and this was the first time that Kohli was dismissed by spinners in three consecutive innings. Now, was it an outlier or a sign of a dip? We’ve seen that his prowess in spin-hitting has taken a bit of a dive in all three formats, but you still can’t imagine him scoring at a strike rate of less than 75 with an average of a little over 13.
Of course, the surface at the R. Premadasa Stadium wasn’t a help, with India struggling to chase down sub-par targets of 231, 241, and 249. Most of the other batters, barring Rohit Sharma, also struggled, and so you make the case that it was indeed an outlier. But given the expectations that Indian fans and Kohli himself have, the series was a huge failure.
Virat Kohli’s ODI record vs leg and left-arm orthodox spin
| Innings | Runs | Balls Faced | Average | Strike Rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sri Lanka series | 3 | 40 | 54 | 13.33 | 74.07 |
| Career | 159 | 2847 | 3010 | 67.80 | 94.60 |
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