When was the last time Virat Kohli bowled for India in ODI cricket?

Team India and Bangladesh kicked off their respective fourth game of the 2023 World Cup in Pune on October 19. Bangladesh were severely dented with their skipper Shakib Al Hasan ruled out due to a quadriceps injury. Najmul Shanto took over as captain.

Shanto won the toss and elected to bat first as Bangladesh looked to rebound from back-to-back losses to England and New Zealand. Following a watchful start, Litton Das unleashed two delightful boundaries off Hardik Pandya before a massive scare stopped Indian hearts.

The all-rounder, who slipped trying to stop the second boundary, grimaced with pain in his left ankle before eventually walking off the field. Following a discussion between skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, the latter completed the over by bowling the remaining three deliveries for two runs.

It begged the question among fans as to when the superstar batter rolled his arm over in ODIs. For that, we head to the penultimate game of a five-match series in Sri Lanka in 2017.

Kohli, leading the side, scored a breathtaking 131 off 96 deliveries to propel India to a massive 375/5 in 50 overs. In reply, the Lankans were almost buried at 44/3 when Kohli brought himself into the attack to bowl the 12th and the 14th over. He conceded 12 runs, including two boundaries to Angelo Matthews, before removing himself from the attack.

The Men in Blue won the match convincingly by 168 runs and eventually the series 5-0. It has been over six years from the date before Kohli bowled for India in the 50-over format.

However, he has bowled occasionally in Tests since and also rolled his arm over in a T20I against Hong Kong during the 2022 Asia Cup.

Overall, Virat Kohli has picked up eight wickets across formats for India in almost 162 overs of bowling, with four apeice in ODIs and T20Is.

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India strike back following an impressive start by Bangladesh

Jadeja brought India back into the contest with timely strikes.

Following a disciplined start from the Indian pacers, the Bangladesh openers unleashed a flurry of impressive boundaries to race to 93 in the 15th over. Tanzid Hasan scored a brisk 51 off 43 deliveries before falling to the ever-reliable Kuldeep Yadav.

Fellow spinner Ravindra Jadeja followed Kuldeep in short order, trapping stand-in skipper Najmul Shanto for a scratchy eight off 17 balls. The re-introduction of Mohammad Siraj spelled the end for India's nemesis, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, with KL Rahul pulling off a spectacular catch behind the stumps.

Jadeja continued his torment of Bangladesh by removing the big fish Litton Das for a well-compiled 66 off 82 deliveries. It meant the Tigers threw away a sensational start to slip to 137/4 in the 28th over on a placid wicket in Pune.

Team India entered the game on the back of three comprehensive wins to open their World Cup campaign. At the 30-over mark, the game hangs in the balance, with the Tigers trying to rebuild the innings at 143/4 in 30 overs.

This is the fifth ODI World Cup meeting between the sides, with the two-time World Champions India holding a 3-1 edge over their continental rivals. However, Bangladesh has won three of the last four meetings between the sides in the 50-over format.