5 Indian bowlers who took the most ODI wickets under Virat Kohli
After leading India in 95 ODI matches, Virat Kohli has now lost his captaincy in the 50-over format to Rohit Sharma. Kohli made his ODI captaincy debut in 2013 as regular skipper MS Dhoni was not fit to play.
Kohli occasionally led the Indian team in ODIs until 2017 when MS Dhoni stepped down as ODI skipper and handed over the reins to Virat. The Delhi-based star played his first ODI as India's full-time captain against England at the MCA Stadium in Pune.
Incidentally, four years later Kohli led India in an ODI against England at the MCA Stadium in Pune, and the game proved to be his last as the ODI skipper. It's another coincidence that both series ended in India's favor with a scoreline of 2-1.
In the 95 ODIs where Virat Kohli captained Team India, many bowlers got an opportunity to showcase their talents. Some achieved success, whereas some failed to cement their spot.
In this listicle, we will look at the five bowlers who picked up the highest number of wickets in ODI matches under Kohli.
#1 Kuldeep Yadav - 92 wickets
Kuldeep Yadav was the most successful bowler in ODI matches under Virat Kohli. The left-arm wrist-spinner scalped 92 wickets in 53 ODI innings, with his best bowling figures being 6/25.
Virat Kohli used Yadav as his strike bowler. Whenever he needed a wicket in the middle overs, he introduced Yadav into the attack.
#2 Jasprit Bumrah - 79 wickets
Fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah picked up 79 wickets in 52 ODIs under Virat Kohli. He scalped the most wickets by any pacer under Kohli's captaincy. Bumrah is the only bowler on the list to have an economy rate of less than five runs per over.
The Gujarat-based fast bowler had an economy rate of 4.89 in ODIs, where Virat Kohli led the team. Bumrah took three four-wicket hauls and one five-wicket haul.
#3 Bhuvneshwar Kumar - 76 wickets
Among bowlers, Bhuvneshwar Kumar holds the record for playing most ODI matches under Virat Kohli. The right-arm fast-medium bowler played 56 ODIs, scalping 76 wickets at an economy rate of 5.13.
Kumar's best bowling figures under Kohli were 5/42. Like Jasprit Bumrah, Kumar took three four-wicket hauls and one five-wicket haul.
#4 Mohammed Shami - 74 wickets
Mohammed Shami is the third pace bowler to appear on this list. The right-arm pacer bowled in 41 ODIs under Virat Kohli. He bagged 74 wickets in those 41 games, including five four-wicket hauls and one five-wicket haul.
Shami was a little expensive in some matches, but he also picked up wickets at regular intervals for the team.
#5 Yuzvendra Chahal - 71 wickets
Yuzvendra Chahal was an important member of the Indian ODI squad during Virat Kohli's tenure as skipper. Chahal bowled in 41 ODI innings under Kohli and accounted for 71 wickets.
Chahal was the only bowler to take more than one five-wicket haul under Kohli's leadership in ODIs. The leg-spinner took two four-wicket hauls and two five-wicket hauls in 41 games.