For years, Virat Kohli has been a nightmare for bowlers around the world. He has made the best attacks look ordinary.
But Shreyas Gopal is one of the few bowlers who have some good records against Virat Kohli. This leg-spinner from Karnataka has shown great control and courage in the Indian Premier League (IPL), where many experienced bowlers have failed.
Gopal’s ability to use his leg-spin and googly has made him a tough bowler for Kohli. In the IPL, out of the six times he bowled to Kohli, Gopal got him out three times.
Shreyas Gopal said on Sports Yaari: It’s hard to plan for a player like Virat Kohli. I thought I should focus on my leg-spin and googly and keep bowling them in the same area. Good batsmen don’t have many weaknesses, especially at this level. I was trying to bowl dot balls, get him to take singles and set up the over.
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I also planned to bowl a few googlies on the pads. I bowled well at that time. But it’s not like Virat just gave me his wicket. I was under pressure when he was batting. Getting someone like that out gives me a lot of confidence.
Gopal has a 50% strike rate against Kohli. Many international bowlers have struggled to trouble Kohli but Gopal’s simple strategy has worked for him against the former Indian captain.
Gopal added, Virat is a puzzle that everyone wants to solve. I’ve bowled to him six times and got him out three times—that’s a 50% success rate! My plan was to focus on the googly, keep it in the right place and be consistent. It’s about executing your plan, being confident and staying patient. I just wanted to bowl dot balls and set up the over.
The spinner said that getting Kohli out has given him a big confidence boost and he hopes to have that competition again.
He also said, I’ve given away a lot of runs to him but getting a player like Kohli out improves your confidence. If I bowl to him again, I hope I can get him out a few more times. It’s always a test to bowl to him. Shreyas Gopal’s IPL 2025 with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) didn’t give him many games but gave him the opportunity to watch MS Dhoni closely.
Even though he was on the bench for the entire IPL 2025 after being bought for ₹30 lakh, the leg-spinner said sharing the CSK dressing room with Dhoni was an experience he will never forget.
Gopal, who is now leading Mangalore Dragons in the Maharaja Trophy 2025, spoke about how Dhoni’s calm nature, his way of handling fame and how he deals with pressure makes him special.
He said, It’s not easy to be MS Dhoni; it’s really tough.
