IPL 2022: [Watch] Deja vu for Virat Kohli as Moeen Ali clean-bowls him with a dream ball
A familiar story unfolded in IPL 2022 as Chennai Super Kings (CSK) all-rounder Moeen Ali clean-bowled former Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) captain Virat Kohli with a crackerjack turning ball at Pune's MCA Stadium on Wednesday (4 May).
After a slow start, Kohli started to up the tempo of his innings in the 10th over. Ali set up the right-handed batter with flat deliveries outside the off-stump. The England international tried the turner on the fifth ball, but the line wasn't right and it went down the leg.
The next ball was hurled outside off, with more revolutions which made it dip and turn viciously to go past the gap between Kohli's pad and bat and hit the leg-stump. The 31-year-old was beaten by both length and turn and got out for 30 (33).
Here's a video of the dismissal:
This was Moeen's first wicket against his former Royal Challengers captain in the IPL. But it wasn't the first time that the spinner had troubled Kohli. He has got the better of the star Indian batter 10 times in international cricket.
When India hosted England in February 2021, Moeen had quite literally stunned the 33-year-old with two similar clean-bowls, one in Tests and the other in ODIs, with the latter's reaction to both going viral through memes on social media.
Wednesday's dismissal will only add to his criticism of strike rate, lack of conversion of starts and unremitting issues against spin bowling.
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Royal Challengers end up with 165 after Virat Kohli's dismissal
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Virat Kohli's wicket threatened to derail his IPL team's progress, but left-arm batter Mahipal Lomror and right-hander Rajat Patidar held the innings together. While the former scored a brilliant 42 (27), Patidar contributed 21 (15).
Dinesh Karthik, as he has done so often this season, gave an invaluable late flourish with his 26* (17), taking the total to 173/8.
It could be around par, but Royal Challengers' spinners will have to come into action to restrict an in-form Super Kings batting lineup.