"He also smashed me….": England's Adil Rashid speaks on battles with Virat Kohli

London [UK], September 28 (ANI): England spinner Adil Rashid spoke on his battles with legendary Indian batter Virat Kohli, saying that it would not be right to term the Indian superstar as his “bunny” as he has also scored a lot of runs against him as well.

Rashid was speaking on the ‘Beard Before Wicket’ podcast. Against Rashid across all formats, Virat has scored 473 runs in 32 innings at an average of 43.00, being dismissed by him 11 times. The Indian legend has hit him for 38 fours and four sixes at a strike rate of 71.55.

Speaking during the podcast, Rashid said that it would not be right to describe Virat as his “bunny”, a term used for batters who get dismissed way too often or get dominated by a particular bowler.

“Let us not think of bunny. It is not like every time I will bowl to him, I will get him out. I have got him out a few times. But he has also smashed me. That is part and parcel. Sometimes when you play a lot against someone and get them out, it becomes a thing. At the same time, he has scored hundreds and fifties and smashed me all over. It is not guaranteed that he is my bunny. It does not work like that,” Rashid said on the ‘Beard Before Wicket’ podcast.

On the other hand, South African pacer Kagiso Rabada, who has often been on the receiving end of an assault from Virat, said that he feels that the Indian superstar was “extremely stingy” with his wicket.

“I feel like Kohli was incredibly hard to get out. He was extremely stingy with his wicket. He would just bat and bat. If you get him out, you know you have earned it. You have earned it in a battle. He was very hard to get out,” Rabada said.

Against Rabada, Virat has scored 423 runs in 38 innings at an average of 52.87, being dismissed by him just eight times. He has smashed 48 fours and seven sixes against Rabada.

Back in May, Virat sent a huge wave of shock and grief among the cricketing fraternity, announcing his retirement from Tests ahead of India’s tour of England, which kickstarted the team’s ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 campaign.

In 123 Tests, Virat scored 9,230 runs at an average of 46.85, with 30 centuries and 31 fifties and a best score of 254*.

He ended as India’s fourth-highest run-getter in Tests. He also ended his career as India’s most successful Test captain, with 40 wins in 68 Tests, including memorable victories in England, Australia, and South Africa, as well as a series win in Australia.

Virat’s final image in whites was helplessly edging a Scott Boland delivery to the slips in the final fifth Test at Sydney. He ended the horrific Australia tour with just 190 runs in nine innings under his belt, at an average of 23.75, despite a century at Perth during the first Test. His struggles with deliveries outside the off-stump channel and poor performances against Boland marked his final outing in white clothing.

Virat, and more importantly, his fans, would be hoping that he scores in abundance during the ODI tour to Australia. He has an outstanding record in the country in ODIs, having made 1,327 runs in 29 matches and innings at an average of 51.03, with five centuries and six fifties. His best score is 133*.

Notably, in his previous ODI outing, he won the ICC Champions Trophy for India back in March, scoring 218 runs in five innings at an average of 54.50, with a century and a fifty each. In seven ODIs this year, he was in solid form, with 275 runs in seven innings at an average of 45.83, a century and two fifties.

In his most recent cricket assignment, he ended an 18-year-wait for an Indian Premier League (IPL) title with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and top-scored for the team with 657 runs in 15 matches with eight fifties.

In 302 ODIs, Virat has made 14,181 runs in 290 innings at an average of 57.88, with 51 centuries and 74 fifties and a best score of 183. He is the third-highest run-getter in the format. Across all of international cricket, he has made 27,599 runs at an average of 52.27, with 82 centuries and 143 fifties. (ANI)

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