Former India skipper Virat Kohli stayed alive till the very end and brought his team home in a thrilling chase against arch-rivals Pakistan at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground. Having completed his half-century, Kohli had just turned the game on its head by hitting their most impactful bowler Haris Rauf for two breathtaking sixes — one a lofted backfoot drive over long-on and another a flick over square leg. Needing 31 for 12 balls, it all boiled down to 16 from the last over with Kohli in his element and Hardik Pandya looking to explode.
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Needing two off two, the designated finisher Karthik was stumped cleverly by Mohammad Rizwan.
Kohli was on 82 as Ashwin took over with two needed off the last ball. The seasoned off-spinner looked composed and smartly moved away as Nawaz darted one down the leg side for a wide.
With the scores tied, as many as seven players closed in on Ashwin. But he allayed all fears of a Super Over by calmly clearing the in-field for a single, sparking wild celebrations in the winning camp and among the Indian fans. After the match, Kohli admitted that till yesterday the Mohali knock was one of his most favourite.
“Till today Mohali was my best innings against Australia. Today I will count this one higher. Hardik kept pushing me. The crowd has been phenomenal. You guys (fans) kept backing me and I am grateful for your support.”
However, he shed a tear or two as the cameras zoomed in on him. He was also seen pointing towards the heavens as if to thank the almighty. It has been a tough year for Kohli who saw his captaincy stripped away. Earlier this year, he also resigned from Test captaincy.
Virat Kohli was lost for words after leaving the cricket world speechless with his cricket here on Sunday.
In his own words, King Kohli had no idea how he had engineering India’s epic win over arch-rivals Pakistan in their blockbuster T20 World Cup face-off.
When all seemed lost at 31 for four in a stiff chase of 160 at the gargantuan Melbourne Cricket Ground, Kohli thought otherwise and spearheaded India to a remarkable four-wicket win with a knock that will go down as one of the best in the tournament’s history.
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