In the warm-up game against Australia on Wednesday, there was a surprise in store for the Indian fans. Virat Kohli turned up with the ball and not stopping there, he delivered two good overs, giving away just 12 runs. It has been a long time since Virat has bowled in a T20I game. In this article, we take a look at the playing XI of India when Virat Kohli last bowled in a T20I game.

Virat Kohli’s last T20I bowling performance was way back in 2016. It was in the semi-final against the West Indies of the 2016 T20 World Cup. India was looking for a wicket, and the batting hero Virat was called to deliver it. The current Indian skipper took the wicket of Johnson Charles with the help of a catch by Rohit Sharma. Since then, in T20I cricket, he has not picked up the cherry.

Openers: Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane

Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane were the openers of the playing XI of India when Virat Kohli last bowled in a T20I game. Incidentally, it is under Rohit’s captaincy that Virat picked up the ball again. That said, it was in a warm-up game and will not add to the stats. Both Rohit and Rahane had a decent game in that encounter. While Rohit scored 43 runs, Rahane scored 40. The duo had an opening partnership of 62 before Samuel Badree broke it.

Middle-Order: Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni (C&WK), Suresh Raina and Manish Pandey

Virat Kohli was in the form of his life at that time. He had single-handedly pulled India to the semis and against West Indies, he brought out yet another sensational performance. Virat scored 89 runs from 47 balls, a knock that included eleven boundaries and a six. He eventually helped India post a total of 192. MS Dhoni got only nine deliveries to play and he scored 15 runs. The rest of the members of the batting line-up did not get an opportunity.

All-Rounders: Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja

Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja did not bat in that encounter. With the ball, the duo was not able to do a great job. Both players did not take a wicket and conceded over ten runs an over. The duo, though, will have an important role to play in India’s upcoming T20 WC campaign.

Bowlers: R Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah and Ashish Nehra

R Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah and Ashish Nehra were part of the bowling attack when Virat last bowled in a T20I game. Both Ashwin and Bumrah had a forgettable game that day. The duo will take part in the 2021 edition of the T20 World Cup. While the others were struggling, Ashish Nehra had an excellent game. In four overs, he gave away just 24 runs and also collected a wicket.