Bowlers Who Have Dismissed Virat Kohli the Most: Kohli’s Toughest Rivals

Virat Kohli has faced almost every major international bowler of his generation. Across Tests, ODIs and T20Is, he has scored heavily against elite pace attacks, world-class spinners and bowlers working in conditions specifically designed to challenge his technique. That makes the list of bowlers who have dismissed him repeatedly particularly interesting.

Virat Kohli IPL stats. Moeen Ali and James Anderson follow with 10, while Kagiso Rabada and Ben Stokes have dismissed him nine times. Kohli ODI runs by team.

The names also show that Kohli has not had one specific type of weakness. Swing bowlers have challenged his outside edge, fast bowlers have used bounce and seam movement, while off-spin and wrist-spin have also produced repeated dismissals.

Bowlers Who Have Dismissed Virat Kohli the Most

The match column represents international matches in which the players overlapped in the available head-to-head records; historical database definitions can vary slightly because some count only matches in which the bowler actually delivered to Kohli. The dismissal totals themselves are the more important comparison. Wisden’s consolidated international leaderboard places Hazlewood, Rashid and Southee on 11, Moeen and Anderson on 10, Rabada and Stokes on nine, and several bowlers on eight.

1. Josh Hazlewood – 11 Dismissals

Josh Hazlewood has been one of Kohli’s toughest opponents because his style attacks exactly the area that can trouble even technically elite right-handers.

The Australian fast bowler has dismissed Kohli 11 times across international cricket. Published matchup records list 29 matches between the pair when Hazlewood reached that mark.

Hazlewood does not usually rely on extravagant movement.

His greatest strength is relentless control around the top of off stump. He can seam the ball away enough to find the outside edge while occasionally bringing it back into the pads.

That creates a difficult decision for Kohli: leave too many deliveries and Hazlewood can tighten the line; play aggressively outside off stump and the slips become involved.

Their Test battles have been especially significant.

Hazlewood dismissed Kohli five times in Tests according to completed red-ball matchup data, while his remaining wickets came in limited-overs cricket.

Kohli has still scored important runs against Australia and has produced some of his greatest overseas innings against their attack. Hazlewood’s 11 dismissals therefore do not indicate complete domination. They show the success of a bowler who has repeatedly forced one of the world’s best batters to make difficult decisions.

2. Adil Rashid – 11 Dismissals

Adil Rashid joined the top of the list during India’s ODI series against England in February 2025.

The England leg-spinner dismissed Kohli in consecutive matches and then removed him for the 11th time in international cricket during the third ODI in Ahmedabad.

Rashid’s record is unusual because he has dismissed Kohli in all three formats.

His 11 wickets have included five in ODIs, four in Tests and two in T20Is.

That versatility matters.

In Tests, Rashid could give the ball more flight and tempt Kohli to attack.

In ODIs, he often operated when Kohli was already established and looking to control the middle overs.

In T20Is, the matchup became more aggressive because Kohli had fewer deliveries to wait for favorable balls.

The leg-spinner’s biggest weapon has been turning the ball away from Kohli.

A wrist-spinner pitching around off stump can force a right-handed batter to play against the spin, bringing catches behind the wicket or at cover into the game.

Rashid’s 11th dismissal in Ahmedabad followed exactly that general theme. Kohli had reached 52 before an outside edge ended his innings.

It was another example of Rashid finding a way through even after Kohli had settled.

3. Tim Southee – 11 Dismissals

Tim Southee was the first bowler to reach double figures against Kohli in international cricket.

He dismissed the Indian batter for the 10th time in Christchurch in 2020, becoming the first bowler to achieve that milestone. He eventually increased the total to 11.

Southee’s success has come primarily through swing and seam.

When conditions offer movement, he can shape the ball away from Kohli while threatening the stumps with the delivery that comes back.

The New Zealand seamer has been particularly effective in ODIs.

He has dismissed Kohli seven times in One Day Internationals, the highest total by any bowler against Kohli in that format.

That record is noteworthy because Kohli is one of the greatest ODI batters in history.

His ability to control chases, rotate strike and accelerate after reaching fifty has made him exceptionally difficult to remove once established.

Southee repeatedly found ways to dismiss him before those innings became decisive.

New Zealand conditions naturally helped at times, but Southee also succeeded against Kohli away from home, proving that the matchup was about more than just helpful pitches.

4. Moeen Ali – 10 Dismissals

Moeen Ali may be the most surprising name near the top.

The England off-spinner dismissed Kohli 10 times across international formats, putting him ahead of many specialist fast bowlers who faced India regularly.

Six of those dismissals came in Test cricket.

That makes Moeen one of the most successful Test bowlers against Kohli, behind only James Anderson and Nathan Lyon, who both dismissed him seven times in the format.

Moeen’s method was based on patience.

He was rarely an extreme turner of the ball. Instead, he maintained a consistent line, changed his pace and allowed the pitch to create enough uncertainty.

Kohli often looked to dominate off-spin, particularly when the ball turned into his scoring arc.

That aggression created opportunities.

Moeen could draw him forward, change the trajectory or find enough bounce to bring close catchers into play.

Their rivalry is also significant because it developed in both England and India, where the conditions and expected role of the spinner were very different.

5. James Anderson – 10 Dismissals

Few batter-bowler rivalries in modern Test cricket received more attention than Virat Kohli against James Anderson.

Anderson dismissed Kohli 10 times across international cricket, including seven times in Tests.

The defining chapter came during India’s 2014 tour of England.

Kohli struggled badly against movement outside off stump, and Anderson repeatedly found his edge.

The series created a technical question that followed Kohli for years: could he control the temptation to play at balls moving away outside off stump?

His response in 2018 was outstanding.

Kohli returned to England with a more controlled technique and scored 593 Test runs in the series. Anderson continued to challenge him but could not dismiss him during that tour.

That turnaround is what makes the rivalry more interesting than a simple dismissal statistic.

Anderson clearly caused Kohli major problems, but Kohli also adjusted his game and produced one of his finest overseas series against the same bowling attack.

Their seven Test dismissals leave Anderson level with Nathan Lyon for the most dismissals of Kohli in the longest format.

Kagiso Rabada and Ben Stokes – Nine Dismissals Each

Kagiso Rabada and Ben Stokes sit just behind the top five with nine dismissals each.

Rabada challenged Kohli through pace, bounce and movement.

South African conditions gave him assistance, but he also dismissed Kohli on slower surfaces by hitting difficult lengths and forcing the batter into drives.

Stokes was a very different opponent.

He was not always England’s primary bowler, yet he frequently produced breakthroughs against established batters. Ball-by-ball matchup data records nine Kohli dismissals from 471 deliveries, with seven caught dismissals, one lbw and one bowled.

That ability to break partnerships made Stokes especially dangerous even when he was not bowling long spells.

Format-Wise Dismissal Leaders Against Virat Kohli

The overall leaderboard combines three very different forms of cricket, so the format-wise breakdown provides a clearer picture of which bowlers troubled Kohli in specific conditions.

Tests – Anderson and Lyon Lead with Seven

James Anderson and Nathan Lyon share the Test record with seven dismissals of Kohli each.

Their methods could hardly be more different.

Anderson used swing and seam movement, particularly outside off stump.

Lyon attacked with off-spin, bounce and persistence, often operating for long spells on Australian and Indian surfaces.

Moeen Ali and Ben Stokes both dismissed Kohli six times in Tests, while several Australian fast bowlers finished on five.

ODIs – Southee Leads

Tim Southee holds the ODI record with seven dismissals.

Ravi Rampaul follows with six, while Shakib Al Hasan, Adam Zampa and Adil Rashid have each dismissed Kohli five times in ODIs according to the consolidated 2025 matchup list.

The presence of three spinners behind Southee highlights how wrist-spin and slow bowling have often been used against Kohli during the middle overs.

T20Is – More Balanced Matchups

Kohli’s T20I career produced fewer repeated bowler matchups because international T20 series contain fewer matches than Tests or ODIs.

Adil Rashid dismissed him twice in T20Is as part of his 11-dismissal overall record. Adam Zampa also enjoyed success against him in short-format cricket.

Kohli retired from T20 internationals after India’s 2024 World Cup victory, so those matchup totals are now final.

Famous Dismissals of Virat Kohli

Anderson During the 2014 England Tour

The 2014 England series remains the most famous difficult period of Kohli’s Test career.

Anderson repeatedly tempted him outside off stump and used late movement to bring wicketkeeper and slip catches into play.

The dismissals became so closely linked to Kohli’s technique that his 2018 return to England was viewed partly as a test of how much he had improved.

Southee in Christchurch, 2020

When Southee dismissed Kohli in the second Test at Christchurch, he became the first bowler to remove him 10 times in international cricket.

That wicket carried statistical significance beyond the match itself.

Rashid’s 11th Dismissal in Ahmedabad

Adil Rashid’s wicket of Kohli in February 2025 took him to 11 dismissals and level with Southee and Hazlewood at the top of the international list.

Kohli had made 52, but Rashid drew an outside edge with a turning delivery.

Scott Boland in the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy

Scott Boland does not feature in the all-format top ten because his rivalry with Kohli was much shorter.

However, it was extremely effective.

Boland dismissed Kohli four times during the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy and five times overall in Tests. One statistical review showed Kohli scoring only 38 runs before those five dismissals in their Test matchup.

The repeated outside-edge dismissals became one of the defining stories of Kohli’s final Test series.

Kohli’s Record Against Top Bowlers

Dismissal counts need context.

A bowler taking Kohli’s wicket eight or ten times does not automatically mean the bowler dominated every contest.

Kohli often faced these players across many years and hundreds of deliveries.

Against Ben Stokes, for example, ball-by-ball data records 351 runs from 471 deliveries for nine dismissals, an average of 39 in the direct matchup.

Against Pat Cummins, Kohli scored more than 300 runs across formats despite being dismissed eight times. Cummins was especially successful in Tests, where matchup data credits him with five wickets.

Hazlewood’s numbers are stronger from the bowler’s perspective. Current matchup data has him conceding roughly 274 runs for 11 international dismissals.

Kohli’s record against Mitchell Starc tells a different story.

Starc has dismissed him eight times across formats, but Kohli has also scored around 449 runs in their direct matchup.

These numbers explain why the best rivalries last so long.

The bowler may have repeated success, but Kohli has often scored heavily between dismissals.

Pace vs Spin: What Has Troubled Kohli Most?

The leaderboard is almost evenly divided between pace and spin.

Hazlewood, Southee, Anderson, Rabada, Stokes, Cummins and Morkel are seamers.

Rashid, Moeen and Swann are spinners.

The fast bowlers generally found success through the channel outside off stump, seam movement or extra bounce.

The spinners created different problems.

Off-spinners such as Moeen and Swann could vary their flight and bounce, while wrist-spinners such as Rashid and Zampa turned the ball away from Kohli.

After the 2023 World Cup, wrist-spin became particularly effective against Kohli in ODIs. Wisden noted in February 2025 that he had fallen four times to wrist-spin in five recent ODI innings.

The overall record therefore does not support the idea that one single bowling style has always troubled him.

Different phases of Kohli’s career produced different challenges.

Bowlers Who Dismissed Virat Kohli Most Across Formats

Kohli has played international cricket across a long era of exceptional bowling.

Anderson, Southee, Hazlewood, Rabada, Cummins and Morkel represent different generations of elite pace bowling.

Rashid, Moeen, Swann, Lyon and Zampa provided contrasting spin challenges.

Repeated dismissal records are partly a result of longevity.

A bowler cannot dismiss Kohli 10 or 11 times without regularly facing him in major international series.

But longevity alone is not enough.

These bowlers also needed repeatable methods that could create opportunities against a batter who constantly adapted his technique.

That is why the Hazlewood, Southee, Rashid, Anderson and Moeen records are significant.

They reflect long-running tactical battles rather than isolated lucky wickets.

FAQs

Which bowler has dismissed Virat Kohli the most times?

Josh Hazlewood, Tim Southee and Adil Rashid share the international record with 11 dismissals of Kohli each across Tests, ODIs and T20Is.

How many times has James Anderson dismissed Virat Kohli?

James Anderson dismissed Kohli 10 times across international formats, including seven times in Test cricket.

Which bowler has dismissed Kohli the most in ODIs?

Tim Southee leads the ODI list with seven dismissals of Virat Kohli. Ravi Rampaul follows with six.

Who has dismissed Virat Kohli the most in Tests?

James Anderson and Nathan Lyon share the Test record with seven dismissals each.

How many times has Adil Rashid dismissed Kohli?

Adil Rashid has dismissed Kohli 11 times internationally: five in ODIs, four in Tests and two in T20Is.

Has Pat Cummins dismissed Virat Kohli often?

Yes. Cummins has dismissed Kohli eight times across international cricket, including five times in Tests.