[Watch] When Virat Kohli dismissed Kane Williamson in U19 World Cup 2008
Over time, Virat Kohli the batter has eclipsed Virat Kohli the bowler. However, it was not always the case as when his career started, he would bowl an occasional spell of three to four overs. And his occasional bowling appearances were marked by a distinctive, unorthodox leap and a somewhat rigid release.
During the 2008 U19 World Cup, Virat Kohli, leading the Indian side, picked up four wickets across the six matches in the tournament. He picked up a couple against New Zealand in a high-stakes semi-final clash.
When Virat Kohli the all-rounder stepped up
In conditions where the ball was seaming, Kohli decided to take up the mantle and made an appearance as the sixth bowler in the 20th over, with New Zealand standing at 57-2. It was in his fourth over that Kohli made his mark, picking up the wicket of Kane Williamson.
He delivered the ball from a wide angle, causing it to slant towards the Kiwi skipper. Williamson, trying to flick the ball away, took a couple of steps forward, only for the ball to sneak past his leading leg and into the gloves of the wicketkeeper, Shreevats Goswami.
Goswami was alert and displayed nimble footwork as he gathered the ball swiftly and removed the bails. The ball was called a wide, but the wicket stayed as the third umpire confirmed that Williamson had strayed outside his crease.
Kohli bowled one more over in the latter stages of the match and picked up the wicket of Fraser Colson with a well-pitched delivery that nipped in and rattled his off-stump. Kohli's seven crucial overs played a pivotal role in India restricting New Zealand to a total of 205-8. He was not done yet, he walked out at number four and added 43 runs to help India chase down the target.
Many years down the line, Kohli and Williamson have gone on to become the leading batters of this era and have also captained their respective sides. They have also forged a good relationship off the field and speak highly about one another.
They crossed paths in the 2019 50-over World Cup semi-final and later met again for the World Test Championship final in the following year. Williamson and his team trumped India on both occasions.
In an interesting turn of events, Virat Kohli had a similar mode of delivery when he picked up the wicket of Kevin Pietersen in 2011, securing his first T20I wicket through a wide delivery.
Virat Kohli was called into action for three deliveries in the 2023 World Cup match against Bangladesh after Hardik Pandya limped off the field with a strained ankle.