Top 5 bowlers to have dismissed Virat Kohli most times across formats ft. Adil Rashid

Team India batter Virat Kohli returned to form with a well-compiled 52 from 55 deliveries in the third ODI against England in Ahmedabad on February 12. However, just as he was eying a three-figure score, his nemesis Adil Rashid dismissed him for a second time in a row.

Kohli was once again in no man's land on his forward defense, nicking the ball to Phil Salt behind the stumps. Despite a career full of breaking batting records for fun, Kohli has occasionally been found wanting against certain bowlers over the years, with Rashid being one of them.

The champion batter has also managed to get the better of most bowlers in his illustrious career. Yet, his habit of falling to a select few bowlers repeatedly in similar modes has Indian fans on the edge of their seats when they come on to bowl.

On that note, let us look at the top five bowlers to have dismissed Virat Kohli the most across formats.

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#5 James Anderson - 10 dismissals

The epic Kohli-Anderson contests defined India-England Tests over the past decade [Credit: Getty]

One of Virat Kohli's earliest kryptonite, James Anderson, was always going to find a place on this list. The former England pacer has dismissed Kohli 10 times in 42 innings across formats. The veteran batter averages only 33.10 against Anderson.

While the duo have never battled in T20Is, Anderson has dismissed the former Indian captain seven times in Tests. However, five out of the seven dismissals came before 2015 and Kohli has been knocked over only twice by Anderson since.

Kohli averages almost 44 against Anderson despite the many dismissals in the red-ball format. The legendary pacer has also removed Kohli thrice in ODIs, with the batter averaging a dismal 8.70 against him.

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#4 Moeen Ali - 10 dismissals

Ali has been the most challenging off-spinner for Kohli over the years [Credit: Getty]

Off-spinner Moeen Ali is another English bowler who has gotten the better of Virat Kohli over the years. While Anderson took 42 innings to dismiss the ace Indian batter 10 times, Ali did the same in a mere 30 innings across formats.

Ali has been surprisingly relentless against Kohli in Tests, dismissing him six times with the batter averaging under 33. The England off-spinner has also bagged Kohli thrice in ODIs and once in T20Is, with the Indian star averaging under 30 against him in both formats.

Overall, Kohli averages only 30.70 against Ali at a strike rate of under 60, while being dismissed 10 times.

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#3 Tim Southee - 11 dismissals

Southee has been the most successful Kiwi bowler against King Kohli [Credit: Getty]

Retired New Zealand pacer Tim Southee found extensive joy with his swinging deliveries against Virat Kohli. Southee dismissed the Indian superstar 11 times in 39 innings during their matchups across formats.

However, unlike the previous two, the splits across formats are skewed towards Southee in ODIs, compared to the other two formats. The former Kiwi pacer has dismissed Kohli only once in T20Is despite the batter averaging a mere 22 against him.

Southee's three dismissals of Kohli in Tests have come at a cost with the batter averaging over 44 against him. Yet, come the ODIs, it has been all Southee over Kohli, with the pacer knocking the ace Indian batter seven times.

Kohli can take solace from the fact he averages a reasonable 33 at a strike rate of 105.50 against Southee in ODIs despite the multiple dismissals.

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#2 Adil Rashid - 11 dismissals

Rashid's leggies have often troubled Kohli in white-ball cricket [Credit: Getty]

Kohli's struggles against England over the years are best demonstrated by the presence of a third English bowler finding his way on this list. Veteran leg-spinner Adil Rashid has also dismissed Kohli 11 times in 32 innings in international cricket, with most of his success coming in the white-ball formats.

While Rashid has dismissed Kohli four times in Tests, the champion batter averages an outstanding 72.20 against him. Even the two dismissals to Rashid in T20Is do not look all that bad for Kohli, considering his average of 36 against the leg-spinner.

However, Rashid definitively has the wood over Kohli in ODIs, dismissing him five times (the ongoing clash being the latest), with the batter averaging a dismal 22.40 against him.

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#1 Josh Hazlewood - 11 dismissals

Hazlewood's relentless consistency has made life difficult for Kohli over the years [Credit: Getty]

Australia's Josh Hazlewood has been the most successful bowler against Virat Kohli across formats in international cricket. The tall right-arm pacer has removed Kohli 11 times in only 30 innings in their head-to-head matchups.

Hazlewood has dismissed Kohli only once in T20Is, with the latter averaging an impressive 43. However, the Aussie pacer has got the better of Kohli five times each in Tests and ODIs.

The star Indian batter also has poor averages against Hazlewood in the two longer formats at 34.60 in Tests and an even worse 11.60 in ODs. Overall, Kohli averages only 24.90 across formats against Hazlewood.