Widely regarded as one of the greatest batters of the modern era, Virat Kohli always seems to reserve his best for the Pakistan cricket team.
While Kohli is yet to play a Test match against the arch-rivals, he boasts a fabulous record in the white-ball formats.
Virat has played 16 ODIs against Pakistan so far, amassing 678 runs at an average of 52.15 and a strike rate of 100.29 with three hundreds and two half-centuries.
In T20Is, Kohli’s domination against Pakistan goes to a different level altogether. He has scored 488 runs in 10 games at an average of 81.33 and a strike rate of 123.85 with five fifties.
With India and Pakistan set to square off in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 in New York on June 9, expectations will be on Kohli’s shoulders to deliver for the team once again.
Ahead of the marquee clash, former Pakistan skipper Misbah-ul-Haq has issued a warning to the Men in Green, saying that Virat Kohli remains a significant threat for them despite all the chatter around the Indian legend’s strike rate in the ongoing IPL season.
"Kohli is going to be a big factor. He has damaged Pakistan many times. He enjoys supremacy over Pakistan mentally. He takes motivation from big occasions and not pressure," Misbah said on 'Star Sports Press Room' on Wednesday (May 15).
"The Virat Kohli effect will definitely be there. He is a top-class cricketer. He is one player who can win you matches, strike rates don't matter. Good players take motivation from those voices or criticism," he added.
Misbah also opined that his country will find it difficult to edge past India when the two sides clash next month, citing that Pakistan have a "mental block" when it comes to playing the arch-rivals in ICC events.
Historically, India have dominated Pakistan in T20 World Cups, with the latter securing victory only once in seven encounters.
"You call it Pakistan's jinx or mental block when it comes to playing India in World Cups. Pakistan will need to do a lot because this is a very skilled Indian team with a powerful bowling line-up and two good spinners," Misbah stated.
"India has quality fast bowlers in (Jasprit) Bumrah, (Mohammed) Siraj and Hardik (Pandya). The Indian cricket team's quality has risen many folds. It will be difficult to break, mental attitude matters a lot and Australia handles the mental side the best way.
"There is no pressure of excess baggage with Australia, and it needs to be seen how both India and Pakistan handle that pressure," he further remarked.
On a separate note, Misbah recalled the ill-fated scoop shot he attempted in the inaugural edition of the T20 World Cup final against India in 2007.
With 12 needing from the last over, Misbah smashed Joginder straight down the ground for a gigantic six. Pakistan were on course for a historic win but the match had a final twist in the tale.
Joginder bowled a full delivery as Misbah bent down to scoop it behind the wicket over short fine-leg but couldn't get the desired connection. Sreesanth, who was placed at fine leg, took the catch to secure the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 for India by five runs.
"In the 2007 T20 World Cup, all teams were not so serious. India handed captaincy to a young (Mahendra Singh) Dhoni. But the final between India and Pakistan, the greatest rivalry in the history of cricket. The hype that T20 got after that World Cup is immense.
"The way T20 cricket flourished, I feel whatever we achieved and the current players are now plying their trade in different leagues and IPL is something great," he said.
(With PTI inputs)
