Virat Kohli’s dominance with the bat in the format has left bowlers worldwide who are looking for answers. Virat Kohli has been the sadness of the bowlers, even changed the best attacks among the common people with his batting excellence for more than a decade.
However, Shreyas Gopal is only one of the only bowlers who have some impressive records against Indian batting Mestro Virat Kohli. The Karnataka leg-spinner has shown remarkable control and fearlessness in the IPL, where the most experienced bowlers have also been demolished.
Shres Gopal’s googly brings rare success against Virat Kohli
Gopal’s ability to rely on his leg-spin and misleading googly has made him a rare threat to modern batting veterans, and his numbers are evidence of this. Out of six times, he has bowled Virat Kohli in the IPL, Gopal has rejected the former RCB captain three times.
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Shreyas Gopal said on the game Yari: “It is very difficult for a player like Virat Kohli to plan. I focused that I should focus on legspin and googly. I should keep it in the same place. Because a good batsman does not have so much weakness. Especially at this level. More or less, how to keep a dot ball, how to put a run ball, how to over-setup.
“It was in my mind. And I was in my mind that I should put some googly balls on the pad. The execution was very good at that time. But of course, it was not that Virat had come and given me, and I would get a wicket. When he was batting, I ate a lot.,
He has a 50% strike rate against one of the most difficult batsmen in history, Kohli. While many international bowlers have also struggled to disturb Kohli’s attention, Gopal’s simple strategy has given him unexpected success against the former Indian captain.
Bowling is always very challenging for him: Shreyas Gopal
Gopal further said, “Virat is a mystery that the whole world wants to solve. I bowled him six times and put him out three times – a 50% success rate!
The spinner said that he has got a large part of confidence by rejecting Kohli, and now he hopes to revive the rivalry once again.
He added, “I have also scored a reasonable number against him, but getting a player like Kohli increases your confidence. I hope if I bowl him again, I can dismiss him a few more times. However, it is always very challenging to bowl him.”
– Sushant Mehta (@sushantnmehta) 26 August, 2025
Shres Gopal reflects on sharing CSK dressing room with MS Dhoni
Meanwhile, Shreyas Gopal’s visit to IPL 2025 with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) did not give him a lot of game time, but it gave him some more valuable, and this is an opportunity to see MS Dhoni closely.
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Despite spending the entire IPL 2025 season on the bench after being selected for ₹ 30 lakh in the mega auction, leg-spinner described the experience of sharing the CSK dressing room with Dhoni as unforgettable.
Gopal, who is currently leading the Mangalore Dragon in the Maharaja Trophy 2025, said how Dhoni’s peace, his ability to manage stardom, and the way he handles the pressure, separates him from others.
He signed, saying, “MS Dhoni is very difficult; it is very difficult.”
