India vs Australia semis: Kohli vs Zampa to take centre stage on March 4

Australian leg-spinner Zampa enjoyed success against Kohli in One Day Internationals (ODIs), dismissing him five times since 2017

As India prepares to face Australia in the semi-final of the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025, all eyes will be on the much-anticipated battle between Virat Kohli and Adam Zampa. The Virat Kohli vs Adam Zampa battle could certainly become decisive on Tuesday given the former struggled against wrist spinners and with Dubai wicket expected to favour spinners, the Indian batter needs to use all his skills in order to give India an upper hand.

 

IND vs AUS semifinal clash: Kohli vs Zampa to take centre stage

 

The Australian leg-spinner enjoyed success against Kohli in One Day Internationals (ODIs), dismissing him five times since 2017. However, Kohli’s recent form suggests he will be eager to turn the tables in this high-stakes encounter.

 

 

"It’s going to be Adam Zampa versus Virat Kohli. Virat has struggled a bit against leg-spinners lately, but the kind of form he has shown in this tournament will serve him well against Australia," said former India cricketer Ambati Rayudu on JioHotstar. 

 

Zampa’s Success Against Kohli

 

Since their first face-off in 2017, Zampa has managed to get Kohli out five times in ODIs. The Indian maestro has scored 264 runs off 245 deliveries against the leg-spinner, maintaining a healthy strike rate of 107.8 and an average of 52.8.

 

Zampa’s effectiveness has been particularly evident in the 2019 and 2020 clashes, where he dismissed Kohli twice each year. While Kohli managed to score 101 off 79 balls in 2019 and 98 off 102 balls in 2020, Zampa’s ability to break through at crucial moments kept the contest alive.

 

Kohli’s Counterattack

 

Despite Zampa’s knack for dismissing him, Kohli has maintained a strong scoring rate against the spinner. His best showing came in 2019, when he scored 101 runs at a strike rate of 127.8, but he was dismissed twice in that year as well. In 2023, Kohli played Zampa cautiously, accumulating 50 runs off 52 balls without losing his wicket—perhaps a sign of a more measured approach.

 

Across all encounters, Kohli has struck 20 fours and 2 sixes off Zampa, showing his ability to dominate when set. However, the 73 dot balls faced highlight the challenge of consistently scoring against the leg-spinner. 

Virat Kohli vs Adam Zampa in ODIs
Year	Runs	Balls	Outs	Dots	4s	6s	SR	Avg
2017	15	12	1	4	1	0	125	15
2019	101	79	2	24	11	1	127.8	50.5
2020	98	102	2	31	6	1	96.1	49
2023	50	52	0	14	2	0	96.2	-
Total	264	245	5	73	20	2	107.8	52.8

   

 

Varun Chakaravarthy’s brilliance and India’s spin dominance

 

Rayudu was particularly effusive in his praise for India’s spinners, singling out mystery spinner Varun Chakaravarthy for his match-winning performance. Reflecting on his journey, Rayudu noted:

 

"Varun was great today. Early in his career, he wasn’t very consistent with his lines and lengths. But now, his bowling makes him a very difficult bowler to face. His action naturally makes it look like he’s delivering left-arm spin, but 90 per cent of his deliveries are googlies, making it tough for batsmen who haven’t faced him before."

 

New Zealand’s struggles against spin were evident throughout the contest, and Rayudu believes Chakaravarthy’s impact might present India with a selection dilemma for the semi-final.

 

"His impressive performance might have created a selection dilemma heading into the semi-finals. India will have a tough time deciding, with so many big players to choose from, but Varun has been brilliant. We’ve seen his impact in India, and all the spinners were outstanding today—Jadeja was amazing, and all four spinners bowled exceptionally well. The pitch definitely assisted them, but New Zealand’s batsmen also struggled against spin, which is an area they will need to improve."