Kagiso Rabada appeared to know exactly what the dismissal would mean when he struck Virat Kohli in the early stages in Ahmedabad on Thursday. The Royal Challengers Bengaluru batter took on the Gujarat Titans pacer in the second over of the first innings, dispatching him for runs, but Rabada turned the momentum in his favour in the fourth over—removing Kohli and then sending him back with a fierce stare as the star walked off.
How the duel unfolded in the early overs
- In the second over’s opening ball, Kohli pulled Rabada over midwicket for a boundary.
- On the second delivery of that same over, Kohli launched the ball over wide mid-off for another four.
- On the third ball, Kohli continued the assault, hitting a short-length delivery outside off to the deep point boundary for a third consecutive score.
- With the fourth delivery, Kohli struck past the short third man fielder to add another four.
- The over ended with Rabada conceding just that single boundary in the closing ball.
- In the following over, Kohli struck Mohammed Siraj for a six, going over long-on.
- Rabada then changed the tempo in the fourth over, bowling a short, quick ball around middle and leg.
- Kohli advanced down the wicket and misread the pace and bounce, losing his shape.
- The result was a mistimed effort that went for top-edge, with Kohli offering a catch to Rashid Khan at mid-wicket.
By the time the dust settled, Kohli had been dismissed for 28 off 13 balls, containing five fours and one maximum. Rabada celebrated the wicket with his teammates, while Kohli’s return to the pavilion was met with Rabada’s visibly angry send-off.
The contest between Kohli and Rabada has often played out like one of cricket’s most gripping rivalries—built on craft, pressure, and a personal edge that surfaces whenever the pacer gets his breakthroughs. Rabada has repeatedly been able to dismiss Kohli across formats, with the batter frequently forced into hurried choices or caught off guard by either a change in speed or an extra dose of movement.
Even though Kohli has managed a solid scoring rate against Rabada, the matchup can still become risky. Rabada’s game is not only about timing the dismissal—his focus on hitting the stumps also makes him a particularly dangerous presence during the powerplay. At the same time, the bigger story from their battles is how Kohli can take control of a spell when conditions suit him, but Rabada has the ability to respond quickly after being hit, effectively resetting the contest in the middle of an over.
