In the 17th match of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, former India captain Virat Kohli made a rare appearance as a bowler, marking the first time since 2015 that the star batter took the ball in hand. Kohli delivered three deliveries during the 9th over of India’s World Cup 2023 match against Bangladesh in Pune. Virat Kohli’s unexpected bowling stint came about when Hardik Pandya suffered an ankle injury while bowling his first over in the match. Kohli was called upon to bowl three deliveries and conceded two runs.

The injury occurred when Hardik Pandya attempted to stop a straight hit by Litton Das with his right leg during his follow-through but ended up slipping in the process. The ball crossed the boundary, and Hardik, in evident pain, received treatment from the physio who taped his ankle. Pandya limped off the field, prompting Rohit Sharma to turn to Virat Kohli to complete the remaining deliveries of the over.

Virat Kohli The Bowler Bowling Right arm quick bowling for India 🔥#INDvsBANpic.twitter.com/21gST0kuHC

— ANSH. (@KohliPeak) October 19, 2023

The last instance of Virat Kohli bowling in a World Cup match was back in 2015 when he bowled an over against Australia in Sydney, upon the request of then-captain MS Dhoni.

During this bowling stint, Virat Kohli bowled three deliveries at around 105 kmph and displayed surprisingly good control. He gave away two runs as Tanzid Hasan and Litton Das managed to take a single each off his deliveries.

Kohli’s most recent wicket in ODIs dates back to 2014 when he dismissed Brendon McCullum. He bowled seven overs in that match. The Pune crowd showed their support and cheered for Virat Kohli as the former captain received the ball from captain Rohit Sharma and made his way to the bowling crease to complete Hardik Pandya’s over.

Despite Bangladesh’s relatively slow start, they maintained a run rate of over 6 runs per over, accumulating 63 runs without losing a wicket in the first 10 overs. Shardul Thakur had a challenging first over in his spell, as Tanzid Hasan struck him for two sixes and a boundary. However, India managed to secure a breakthrough when Kuldeep Yadav dismissed Tanzid in the 15th over, with 94 runs on the scoreboard.