- Mar 4, 2024
- May 2, 2023
The clash between India and Pakistan in the 2022 T20 World Cup is etched in the history of the game as one of the greatest matches to have been played. Pakistan were in pole position to win the game as the Indian batting line-up had crumbled under pressure. Chasing 160, India were reduced to 31-4 and the chances of them winning were minimal. However, one man stood between Pakistan and victory and it was none other than the maestro, Virat Kohli.
Kohli anchored the innings, playing cautiously initially to rebuild and gradually shifted gears, finding boundaries and rotating the strike effectively. He showcased his trademark composure and shot selection under immense pressure. The turning point of the game was the 19th over of the chase in which Kohli smashed two sixes off the penultimate over’s last two balls against Haris Rauf.
In a recent interview with Cricbuzz, Pakistani cricketer Mohammad Nawaz, who was a part of the game, discussed the high-voltage encounter that took place at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Nawaz couldn’t manage to defend 16 runs in the final over of the game but he believes that the experience has helped him as he knows how to tackle similar situations now. “It seems that it turned out to be my strength because when you go through such an experience, you can adapt better when you come up against a similar scenario,” he said.
Nawaz commended the innings by Kohli which snatched the game away from his side despite them being in the driver’s seat. He said that the innings was testimony to the fact that Kohli is the best player going around. He added that only Kohli could have won a game from the position that his team was in.
“Look, he is the best player in the world. And why he is the best player around he showed in that game considering in those conditions when you lose four wickets inside 40 runs and the way our three fast bowlers were bowling only he could win a game from that point,” Nawaz said.