Dale Steyn, Mitchell Starc kicked aside as Virat Kohli names toughest bowlers he has faced across formats

Virat Kohli, who is one of the finest batters of the modern era, recently shared insights into the bowlers who challenged him the most throughout his career. The star batter surprised many by omitting legendary names like Dale Steyn and Mitchell Starc from his list of bowlers from across three formats.

In a recent interaction, Virat Kohli picked James Anderson as the toughest bowler he has faced in Test cricket, especially in English conditions. Kohli added that the veteran pacer has been by far the most difficult opponent in red-ball cricket.

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"Test cricket, James Anderson in England was by far the toughest," Virat said.

Virat Kohli Talking About Thoughest Bowler He Faced Across Formats!♥️
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— virat_kohli_18_club (@KohliSensation) May 3, 2025

Virat has been instrumental for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the 2025 season. He is the leading run getter for the team with 443 runs from 10 matches at an average of 63.28 and a strike rate of 138.87, with six half-centuries to his name. Kohli currently ranks fifth on the run-scorer list.

Virat Kohli Names the Toughest Bowlers He Has Faced in White-Ball Cricket

The Indian batter also revealed the toughest bowlers he's faced in white-ball cricket. The former Indian skipper said that Sunil Narine has consistently troubled him for over 15 years and remains challenging to face.

For One Day Internationals, Kohli mentioned two bowlers – Lasith Malinga and Adil Rashid. He concluded by saying Rashid is the toughest spinner in the 50-over format.

"T20 cricket, I think Sunil Narine for a consistent amount of time, 15 years. He is still very difficult to pick, this guy hits him for fun, but I can't. I can't pick him. And one day cricket, I think Malinga was pretty good. He was difficult to face. Adil Rashid is very good from England. He is probably the toughest ODI spinner that I have faced, he is very good," Kohli added.

Virat Kohli's Record Against James Anderson, Adil Rashid

James Anderson has dismissed Virat Kohli 10 times in 42 innings across formats. The English fast bowler has particularly troubled Kohli in Test cricket, where he has dismissed him seven times. Notably, five of those came before 2015, with Anderson getting the better of Kohli only twice since then.

Adil Rashid has dismissed Kohli 11 times in 32 international outings. Rashid has managed to get rid of Kohli four times in Test cricket, but Kohli has an impressive average of 72.20 against him. Kohli also has a good record against Rashid in T20Is.

However, Rashid has been most effective in the 50-over format. The leg-spinner has removed Kohli five times, with the Indian star averaging just 22.40 against him.

Also read: Vaibhav Suryavanshi brutally schooled by Aussie legend: "After scoring a century, he got a duck"