In a major turn of events at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi’s premier batter Virat Kohli was dismissed bowled by Railways’ fast bowler Himanshu Sangwan during the Ranji Trophy encounter on Friday. Kohli, known for his solid defensive skills, managed just six runs off 15 deliveries before his stumps were rattled in the 28th over.
Himanshu Sangwan joins elite list of pacers to dismiss Virat Kohli
Sangwan, the right-arm pacer, etched his name in the record books by becoming only the ninth fast bowler to bowl out Kohli in First-Class cricket. The dismissal occurred when Kohli attempted to repeat a boundary he had struck on the previous ball but misjudged the late swing, resulting in the ball crashing into his off-stump.
A rare mode of dismissal for Kohli
Kohli, who boasts an exceptional batting technique, has been bowled only 24 times in his entire First-Class career. The last instance of a pacer breaching his defense came in 2022 when England’s Matthew Potts dismissed him in a similar fashion.
List of pacers who have dismissed Kohli bowled in First-Class cricket
Shailender Gehlot (Rajasthan, 2006):
This was early in Kohli’s career when he was still finding his feet in domestic cricket. Gehlot, a right-arm fast-medium bowler, managed to beat Kohli’s defense, likely taking advantage of his relative inexperience at the time.
Asad Ali (Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited, 2008):
During a tour match in Pakistan, Kohli faced Asad Ali, a left-arm fast-medium bowler. Ali’s delivery probably swung or seamed enough to go past Kohli’s bat, knocking over the stumps. This was during a time when Kohli was still honing his skills against international-standard bowling.
Liam Plunkett (England, 2014):
During the second Test of India’s tour of England in 2014 in Lord’s, Plunkett, known for his ability to move the ball both ways, cleaned up Kohli in India’s second innings for a golden duck. Notably, India won the contest by 95 runs.
Mitchell Johnson (Australia, 2014):
During a challenging series for India in Australia in 2014, Johnson’s fearsome pace and swing was at its peak. Kohli had a memorable time with the bat in the opening Test in Adelaide as he scored centuries in both the innings. Though in the second Test, Johnson cleaned up Kohli during India’s second innings at the score of just 1.
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Shannon Gabriel (West Indies, 2016):
The year 2016 was arguably the best time in Kohli’s glorious cricket career as he amassed lots of runs be it at the international arena of domestic league like IPL. During the first Test of India’s tour of West Indies in the same year, Kohli scripted his side’s dominant win with a spectacular double hundred. In the first innings, India managed to pile up 566/8 before declaring. Kohli led from the front and scored 200 before Gabriel, with his express pace and bounce, knocked over the then Indian captain’s stumps.
Kagiso Rabada (South Africa, 2018):
During India’s tour of South Africa in 2016, Rabada, known for his pace, seam, and swing, got Kohli out bowled in the third Test at New Wanderers Stadium. Rabada shattered Kohli’s stumps during India’s second innings for 41 runs. India, however, won the match by 63 runs.
Ben Stokes (England, 2021):
During England’s tour of India in 2021, Stokes achieved a rare feat of dismissing Kohli by knocking over his stumps. The dismissal came in the first Test when the star India batter was batting on 72 during the second innings. The wicket impacted India badly as they lost the game by 227 runs.
Matthew Potts (England, 2022):
In the rescheduled 5th Test match against England, Potts, a relatively new face in international cricket at the time, managed to get Kohli bowled. During the first innings, Potts dismissed the former Indian skipper for just 11 runs.
Himanshu Sangwan (Railways, 2025):
The latest on the list is Sangwan, who achieved the feat in the Delhi versus Railways Ranji Trophy clash. The ball probably swung more than anticipated, coming back in to beat Kohli’s bat after he had played confidently on the previous ball.
