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If Virat Kohli, one of the world's leading batsmen in all formats of the game, has a nemesis in Indian Premier League, it has got to be Sandeep Sharma.
When the Sunrisers Hyderabad pacer got the Royal Challengers Bangalore captain out caught by Kane Williamson in Sharjah on Saturday, it was the seventh time in IPL that the 27-year-old managed to get the better of Kohli.
Sandeep Sharma's ability to move the ball and vary his pace completely outfoxed two in-form RCB batsmen on Saturday. Sunrisers Hyderabad defeated RCB by five wickets to keep Kohli's star-studded team waiting for a spot in the IPL playoffs. (POINTS TABLE)
It was Man of the Match Sharma who triggered a RCB batting collapse. First, it was the inform Devdutta Padikkal who missed the line of a ball that swung in and hit the top of the stumps. Then, it was Virat Kohli. An outswinger followed two inswinging deliveries. This one was slower in pacer and Kohli went through his drive for Williamson to complete a regulation catch at extra-cover.
It's never easy bowling to Kohli. A superb judge of length and pace, the Indian cricket captain plays his drives with a flattish bat and tries to play along the ground. Sharma had foxed him with clever change of pace and the sluggish nature of the Sharjah pitch did not help.
Sandeep Sharma got the better of RCB's in-form opener Devdutt Padikkal in Sharjah on Saturday. Photo: BCCI
No one has got the better of Virat Kohli like Sandeep Sharma has. On Saturday, he went past Ashish Nehra's six. Kohli scored seven runs off seven balls! Only Zaheer Khan has got the better of MS Dhoni seven times.
"When I started bowling, the wicket was sticky. My plan was to bowl wicket to wicket, and swing the ball. It was swinging nicely as it has got cooler over here. I have been bowling knuckle balls and getting big help from Jonny Bairstow, who is helping me add deliveries and how I can go about my business.
"Kohli is one of the greatest batsmen this sport has seen. To get him out is always special," Sandeep Sharma said after the match.
Sandeep Sharma has played 130 T20 matches and taken 148 wickets with an economy rate of 7.20. An IPL journeyman who has turned out for Kings XI Punjab before, Sharma has represented India in two internationals.
