Ahead of the high-stakes Asia Cup clash between arch-rivals India and Pakistan in the ongoing Asia Cup, Pakistan's all-rounder Shadab Khan has expressed admiration for former India skipper Virat Kohli's batting prowess. Pakistan's ace spinner acknowledged Kohli's world-class stature and emphasised the strategic planning required to bowl effectively against the batting maestro.
Recalling a memorable encounter in the ICC T20 World Cup, where Kohli's unbeaten 82 runs off 53 balls guided India to victory over Pakistan, Shadab Khan commended Kohli's extraordinary performance. He emphasised that the way Kohli approached the game and handled the pressure demonstrated his exceptional abilities as a batsman.
In an interview with Star Sports during the ongoing Asia Cup, Khan stated, "He (Kohli) is a world-class player, definitely. You have to plan a lot to face him." Khan's insights underline the level of preparation required to counter Kohli's threat on the field.
Reflecting on that superlative knock, Shadab Khan in a conversation with Star Sports said,"The kind of batsman that Virat Kohli is, the way he has performed against us, even in the last match at the (2022 T20) 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."
He acknowledged that Kohli's prowess extends to any stage of the game and can manifest at any given time.
As the anticipation for the India-Pakistan match builds, cricket enthusiasts await the clash between Shadab Khan's bowling strategy and Virat Kohli's batting brilliance.
Pakistan will be locking horns with India on September 2, Saturday at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Sri Lanka.
MORE ON SPORTS TAK:
Asia Cup: Babar Azam is going to have a lot of difficulty facing him — Kaif warns Pakistan skipper of India's star pacer's threat
Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma need just two runs against Pakistan to become fastest pair to achieve this feat in ODI cricket history
