“He can do this at any stage and at any time”: Shadab Khan on Virat Kohli ahead of India Pakistan Clash.

Indian batting maestro, Virat Kohli, has offered insights into the prospect of facing Pakistan’s formidable bowling attack in the upcoming clash of the Asia Cup 2023 scheduled for Saturday, September 2. Speaking candidly, Kohli emphasized that Pakistan’s true strength lies in their bowling prowess, which is adept at taking wickets in clusters. As a result, he stressed that batsmen need to be in prime form and deliver their best performance to counter their formidable opponents on the field.

Virat Kohli said “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.”

Undoubtedly, Virat Kohli remains a pivotal wicket for Pakistan to secure an early advantage against the formidable Men in Blue in the ongoing competition. Kohli, who has an impressive track record in One Day Internationals (ODIs) against Pakistan, boasts an average of 48.73 in 13 encounters, amassing a total of 536 runs. A testament to his prowess, Kohli’s personal best score of 183 was achieved against Pakistan during the 2012 Asia Cup, a pivotal innings that enabled India to successfully chase down a challenging target of 330.

Meanwhile, Pakistani all-rounder Shadab Khan has highlighted the critical importance of devising a well-thought-out strategy when bowling to Virat Kohli. Khan acknowledged that Kohli’s exceptional capabilities were showcased during the 2022 T20 World Cup, where he orchestrated an improbable victory for India by steering the team to triumph with an astonishing 28 runs required from the last eight deliveries.

Shadab Khan said “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.”