Former Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Akhtar lauded Virat Kohli's exceptional performance in the World Cup 2023 match against New Zealand on Sunday, October 22. Kohli's stellar 95 runs at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala steered India to a four-wicket victory. Although he narrowly missed equalling Sachin Tendulkar's ODI century record, India successfully chased down the target of 274 with ease.
Akhtar, on his YouTube channel, remarked, "He is someone who thrives under pressure. Pressure brings opportunities for him. And opportunities are scoring a hundred, playing match-winning knocks and getting followed on Instagram, and why not? This guy deserves it.
Highlighting India's robust batting lineup, Akhtar mentioned, "Shubman Gill is enough for this New Zealand team. Had Rohit Sharma not got out casually, he is enough. If KL Rahul goes up the order to 3 or 4, even he is enough. India's batting lineup is very lengthy. Everyone knows what Kohli did today, but Rahul also took the load. Suryakumar had also done so had he not got out."
Akhtar lauded Mohammed Shami for becoming the inaugural Indian bowler to claim multiple five-wicket hauls in World Cup tournaments.
Reflecting on India's undefeated streak in the grand tournament, Akhtar expressed, "But in ensuring that New Zealand doesn't score 300-350, Shami played a big role. He was a bit expensive, but it's okay since he dismissed five batters. He has shown his talent and India need to persist with the same bowling attack. They have a complete batting and bowling lineup. There is no way that India should not be winning the World Cup."
Meanwhile, speaking about Pakistan's latest opponents, the 'Rawalpindi Express', Akhtar, cautioned them against viewing Afghanistan as an easy adversary. In a recent video, he highlighted that the conditions in Chennai, especially the spinning ball, might favour Afghanistan. Akhtar stressed that given Afghanistan's present form, it would be unwise for Pakistan to overlook their potential. Although he remains hopeful about Pakistan's ability to recover, his advice was unequivocal: "Approach this match with seriousness."
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