India are all set to begin their Asia Cup 2023 as they take on heated rivals Pakistan on the 2nd of September at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Sri Lanka.
The team will rely on star batsman Virat Kohli to lead the charge against the neighbouring nation in order to get the tournament off to a positive start as the men in blue go in search of continental glory, yet again.
Ahead of the highly charged game, former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif shared his thoughts on the importance of the 34-year-old in the pursuit of the coveted cup.
“In my opinion, Kohli’s performance in Australia at the T20 World Cup, against Pakistan, was magnificent,” the retired batsman said.
The 42-year-old hailed Kohli’s sense of responsibility and his ability to chase down targets at will.
“Virat Kohli is a brilliant batsman when it comes to playing against Pakistan. He takes full responsibility and is a chase master,” Kaif said.
“The form that he had in that World Cup was because of his performances in the Asia Cup (2022), starting from that century he hit against Afghanistan. He had a dry run before that, but after his performances in the Asia Cup, he did not stop, he won matches, even the match against Pakistan in Australia. Those memories will still linger in the minds of the Pakistani bowlers,” he continued.
Kaif also expressed that the Pakistani bowlers will be wary of the Indian par excellence and the threat that he poses to their chances.
“They will be wary of Kohli and know what a big wicket he is. They will know that if they get him out, the match becomes a lot easier. But the form he is in, the pressure will always be on the bowlers.”
The former Indian batsman also mentioned that Kohli would be aware of the challenges the Pakistani bowling attack poses and how to tackle them thanks to his experience of having faced them quite a few times already.
“And the fact that he has played the Pakistani bowlers in their last match at the T20 World Cup, he will know how every Pakistani bowler bowls, whether it is Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, or Haris Rauf. Kohli will know how to play them, he will know what their strengths and weaknesses are. Virat Kohli will be very dangerous against Pakistan,” he concluded.
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