IND vs PAK 2022: [Watch] Team India members hug Virat Kohli after star batter's stunning knock against Pakistan
The entire Indian camp acknowledged Virat Kohli, who played a memorable knock to take his side over the line against Pakistan in Melbourne in the 2022 T20 World Cup fixture. The likes of Rahul Dravid, Axar Patel, Rishabh Pant and Mohammad Shami hugged the Indian batter and patted him on the back for scripting an unlikely six-wicket win.
Kohli, who came out to bat after India lost KL Rahul in the second over, stayed unbeaten on 82 off 52 deliveries as the Men in Blue chased down 160. The 33-year-old soaked the pressure early on by playing it safe and added 113 runs with all-rounder Hardik Pandya to bring India back into the contest.
With 31 required off the last two, Kohli got a couple of sixes off Haris Rauf's final two deliveries to reduce the equation to 16 off the last over. After plenty of drama, the final ball of the innings required India to score only a run.
Ravichandran Ashwin, who was on strike, lofted the ball over mid-off as the fans went crazy. The former Indian captain, who earned the Player of the Match award, is also the highest run-getter in T20Is.
"I will count this one higher because of the magnitude of the game" - Virat Kohli
After the game, the veteran cricketer stated that he would rank this knock higher than his famous T20 World Cup knock against Australia due to the stakes involved and the situation India were in. He also credited Pandya for evoking the belief that they can win this game.
"I honestly have no words. I have no idea how that happened. Till today I have always said Mohali was my best innings, against Australia: I got 82 off 52 (51). Today I got 82 off 53. So they are exactly the same innings, but I think today I will count this one higher because of the magnitude of the game and what the situation was. It seemed impossible but then Hardik kept pushing me in that partnership and we just went deep. Hardik kept telling me: 'just believe, believe we can do it, stay till the end."
India will move to Sydney to face the Netherlands on October 27.