Mohammad Amir has named Virat Kohli as the toughest batter of his career. Speaking to Wisden, the former Pakistan left-arm fast bowler placed Kohli above Ricky Ponting and Shane Watson, calling him untouchable in modern cricket. The statement carries weight because Amir once held the exact opposite view.
In 2021, Amir called Kohli and Rohit Sharma easy to bowl to. Five years later, he calls Kohli a batter with no match in modern cricket.
“For this generation, I’ve said it many times, Virat Kohli is the toughest batter I have bowled to. When you look at his consistency, the way he controls his game, and how he finishes matches, there is simply no match for him in modern cricket.”
Mohammad Amir, Wisden interview, July 2026
Amir did not stop at his own generation. He placed Kohli above two batters who troubled him during the first phase of his career.
“Among former players, Ricky Ponting and Shane Watson were extremely difficult to bowl to. But if we talk about current players, Virat Kohli stands at the top without a shadow of a doubt.”
Mohammad Amir, Wisden interview, July 2026
In 2021, Amir told media that Steve Smith was the toughest batter he had bowled to because of his unconventional technique. About Kohli, he was dismissive.
“I may say that I find bowling to Virat slightly tougher because he revels in pressure situations, but otherwise I’ve never found it difficult bowling to either of the two.”
Mohammad Amir, 2021
He called Rohit Sharma “easy pickings” in the same interview. Kohli was rated only marginally above that. That is not a subtle shift from 2021 to 2026. That is a complete reversal from a bowler who has tested both generations of top-order batting talent.
What Changed Between 2021 and 2026
Amir dismissed Kohli twice in ODIs and never once in T20 internationals. Across formats, Kohli scored 56 runs off 61 deliveries against him.
The 2017 Champions Trophy final remains Amir’s greatest spell against India. He removed Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, and Kohli in a devastating 3/16 opening burst that left India at 33/3. Kohli fell for 5, caught at backward point after Amir deliberately switched from inswingers to outgoing deliveries. Pakistan won by 180 runs and claimed their most recent ICC title.
In the 2019 World Cup, Amir got Kohli again, though only after the Indian batter had already compiled 77. Those two dismissals on the biggest stages are precisely why Amir’s praise now hits differently. A bowler who has gotten the better of Kohli in a Champions Trophy final and a World Cup is not offering empty flattery.
Kohli has also called Amir “one of the toughest bowlers I have played in my career.” The respect has always been mutual, but Amir’s side of it has shifted from professional acknowledgement to outright admiration.
Kohli’s record against Pakistan in T20 World Cups captures what Amir is describing. Across five innings, Kohli scored 308 runs with four not outs, including an unbeaten 82 that steered India past Pakistan in the 2022 edition. Amir was on the other side for two of those games. Kohli was named Player of the Match in both. Amir could not dismiss him even once in that format.
Insider Read:
A fast bowler who has dismissed a batter in a major final and still calls him the toughest opponent of his career is acknowledging something the scoreboard never captures. Getting Kohli for 5 in the 2017 Champions Trophy final is the kind of wicket that defines a career. Most bowlers would use that memory to back their own ability against anyone. Amir instead uses it to explain why Kohli is a different challenge altogether.
Every bowler who has dismissed Kohli knows the feeling of thinking they have found the formula. The inswinger that beats him early, the fuller length that draws the edge. But Kohli treats every dismissal as a lesson. He goes back, identifies the technical gap, and eliminates it. The next time that same bowler runs in with the same plan, Kohli has already adjusted. That correction cycle is what makes him technically superior over time, not just talented in the moment. It is what separates a consistent performer from a match-winner who dominates across eras.
Smith’s technique is awkward to bowl to. Ponting was ruthless against anything short. But neither of them combined Kohli’s technical discipline with his ability to dominate in pressure moments. A bowler can find Kohli’s edge three times in a session and still lose the contest because the fourth ball disappears through the covers. That consistency across conditions, across formats, across years is what turned Amir from a bowler who once called Kohli “slightly tougher” than easy to one who now says there is simply no match for him in modern cricket.
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