Pakistan all-rounder Shadab Khan lavished praise on Virat Kohli for his out-of-the world knock against them during the 2022 T20 World Cup at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The 24-year-old opines that no batter other than Kohli would have been able to carry their side to victory from as precarious a position as India were in that day.
The 34-year-old was at the forefront of India's six-wicket win at the MCG last October as he remained unbeaten at 82. Chasing a tricky 160, the Men in Blue had crashed to 31-4 before Kohli and Hardik Pandya combined for a 113-run partnership. However, it was the former Indian captain, who stayed until the end, to carry India to a dramatic victory.
Speaking exclusively to Star Sports, Shadab underlined the need for planning before facing Kohli, given his exceptional record against Pakistan and is wary of what the veteran can do at the grandest stage.
"He is a world class player, definitely. You have to plan a lot to face him. Anyway, in international cricket, there are a lot of mind games, because you definitely have the skill to reach that level. But how you read each other’s minds, the bowler and the batsman, how they read each other’s minds, and it also depends on what the situation is. The kind of batsman that Virat Kohli is, the way he has performed against us, even in the last match at the World Cup, I don’t think that if any other batsman in the world was in that situation, could have done that to our bowling line-up. And the beauty of it is that he can do this at any stage and at any time."
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Virat Kohli wary of Pakistan's 'impactful' bowlers:
Speaking to Star Sports on Follow the Blues LIVE, Kohli opined that Pakistan's strength lies in their bowling and batters must be on the top of their game while facing them.
"I feel bowling is their strength. And they’ve got some really impactful bowlers that can change the course of the game anytime based on their skill set. So you have to be at your absolute best to face them."
India lead Pakistan when it comes to the head-to-head contests in Asia Cup ODIs.
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