Indian cricketer Virat Kohli, primarily known for his batting prowess, surprised everyone by making an impact with the ball, securing his first one-day international wicket in nine years in the 45th match of the World Cup in Bengaluru.
Facing the uphill task of chasing 411 runs, the Netherlands batsmen struggled, prompting India's captain, Rohit Sharma, to turn to Kohli for his medium-pace bowling. In just his second over, Kohli dismissed Dutch captain Scott Edwards, who was caught behind off a delivery drifting down the leg side.
This marked a significant moment for Kohli, as it was only his fifth career ODI wicket and the first since 2014, when he dismissed Brendon McCullum in Wellington. Notably, his last international wicket came during the 2016 Twenty20 World Cup against the West Indies.
A Diwali special from Virat Kohli 👆#CWC23 | #INDvNEDhttps://t.co/WiokybAAQe
— ICC (@ICC) November 12, 2023
Kohli's bowling stint in this World Cup was prompted by the injury-enforced departure of all-rounder Hardik Pandya midway through an over against Bangladesh.
Adding to his all-round contribution, earlier in the same match, Kohli, who recently equaled Sachin Tendulkar's all-time record of 49 ODI centuries, made a valuable contribution with the bat by scoring 51 runs in India's commanding total of 410-4.
