CWC 2023: WATCH – Pakistan players shower rich praise on Virat Kohli ahead of World Cup clash against India

Kohli boasts a fabulous record in the white-ball formats against Pakistan.

Virat Kohli | GettyWidely 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 15 ODIs against Pakistan so far, amassing 662 runs at an average of 55.16 and a strike rate of 100.60 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 Cricket World Cup 2023 in Ahmedabad on October 14, expectations will be on Kohli’s shoulders to deliver for the team once again.

Ahead of the marquee clash, Pakistani cricketers have expressed their admiration for Virat Kohli. They hailed him for his incredible skills, mindset and finishing abilities as a batter.

"I like his never-give-up attitude. Also, I like the way he sledges Australia in their own territory and messes with them. Though he has cooled down as of late as we have seen recently, his belief and attitude are so different than others. He believes that he can achieve and do well in any situation. There could be a lot of players like him ability-wise, but his ability and mindset are different, his hunger does not end, and that is why he is elite," Pakistan opener Imam-Ul-Haq said in a video shared by Star Sports on X.

Pacer Haris Rauf, who bowled to Virat Kohli at the nets in Australia in 2018-19, recalled, "When I was a net bowler bowling to Virat, I felt that he knew where my ball was going to land. That is how focused he was. He was playing me in nets like an actual match with so much aggression. When I saw his control, I could understand why he has such a big status in international cricket, it is something different."

Wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan lauded Kohli's finishing abilities, saying, "When he is well set and has a few runs under his belt, his finishing touches and shots are unlike every other player in the world. Nobody comes close to him."

All-rounder Shadab Khan praised Virat Kohli's appetite for runs and continuous self-improvement.

"He has that hunger to score and improve himself all the time. He is a world-class player, a legend already, but still, he wants to do well for India. I like this commitment," Shadab said.

 
 

By Salman Anjum - 14 Oct, 2023

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