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Virat Kohli, India’s batting stalwart, endured a relentless struggle against Sri Lankan bowlers in the recent ODI series, ending up LBW in all three matches. The series, concluded with Sri Lanka’s 2-0 victory on August 7 at the R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo, saw Kohli dismissed in strikingly similar fashion each time, leaving fans and analysts, including Aakash Chopra, bewildered. In the first ODI, Kohli was dismissed LBW by Sri Lanka’s leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga for 24 runs.
Aakash Chopra is taken aback by Virat Kohli’s unusual run of LBW dismissals in the series
The series continued to unravel for Virat Kohli as the leg-spinner Jeffrey Vandersay dismissed him LBW for 14 runs in the second ODI, contributing to Sri Lanka’s 32-run victory in Colombo.
In the final ODI, Kohli was once again undone by spin, with left-arm spinner Dunith Wellalage trapping him LBW for 20 runs from 18 balls. This dismissal came during India’s significant 110-run defeat on Wednesday.
Left-arm spinners have proven to be Kohli’s kryptonite, dismissing him 10 times in ODI cricket since 2022, with an average of just 24.1 runs per dismissal. The series exposed Kohli’s vulnerabilities against spin in challenging conditions, marking a challenging period for the Indian batting star.
Kohli’s attempts to overturn umpire decisions in the ODI series ended in failure.
Adding to his struggles, Kohli attempted to use the Decision Review System (DRS) three times during the ODI series, but failed to overturn any of the umpire’s calls, unable to evade Sri Lanka’s spin attack.
This series marked one of the most challenging periods for the Indian batting legend, revealing vulnerabilities rarely seen before. Kohli’s repeated LBW dismissals left Aakash Chopra astounded.
Chopra highlighted that Kohli’s dismissals followed a troubling pattern—either misjudging deliveries by going back or forward incorrectly or playing shots off the wrong line. The former cricketer noted that Kohli’s unsuccessful DRS calls underscored his difficult run, with no successful challenges against the umpires’ decisions.
Virat was not able to dominate: Aakash Chopra
The former India batter also pointed out that the ODI series between Sri Lanka and India starkly revealed Virat Kohli’s struggles against spin bowling. His inability to assert dominance was surprising and unexpected.
Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube channel: “Virat Kohli, three matches, three leg before. I don’t remember when it happened last time that Virat Kohli got a leg before three times. When he went back once, when he went forward twice, when he played in the wrong line.”
Chopra further noted, “When he got out three times, he also used the review three times. I mean, he used the review in the second game earlier. When he got out, maybe he didn’t do it. But it didn’t look like he was able to dominate. So, this was a little surprising.”
