T20 World Cup 2022: "So inspiring to see him cry and smile" - Shahrukh Khan hails India and Virat Kohli for an incredible win over Pakistan
Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan hailed Team India for their incredible victory against Pakistan at the MCG, which was largely possible due to a Virat Kohli masterclass.
Playing the knock of a lifetime, Kohli remained unbeaten on 82 off 53 deliveries to take India home.
Taking to his Twitter handle, SRK shared a heartfelt note for Team India, congratulating them on a phenomenal win. He also had a special message for Virat Kohli, who looked very emotional after the victory.
“So good to see a great game of cricket. So wonderful to see India win. So brilliant to see @imVkohli batting….and so inspiring to see him cry and smile….and the background score of Chak de India!! Happy Diwali starts right now!!!,” Shahrukh wrote.
A masterclass from Virat Kohli takes India over the line
Chasing a tricky 160 on a seam-friendly MCG wicket, India were jolted early with both openers falling in quick succession.
Suryakymar Yadav, who came into the match as India’s X factor, was also dismissed cheaply. At 31/4, Kohli was joined by Hardik Pandya in the middle as the duo tried to stage a turnaround.
Kohli struggled to time the ball initially, but Hardik Pandya kept pushing him, as he himself mentioned in the post-match show.
"It seemed impossible but then Hardik kept pushing me in that partnership and we just went deep. It just happened. Hardik kept telling me: 'just believe, believe we can do it, stay till the end'. Honestly, I'm lost for words,” Kohli said after the victory.
It was Hardik Pandya who shifted the momentum towards India with a couple of sixes off Mohammad Nawaz in the 12th over.
That particular over also got Kohli going as he played some delightful shots to keep the hopes alive. However, the return of the pacers saw a shift in momentum once again.
Virat Kohli: The master of calculations
With 48 runs required in 3 overs, Virat Kohli decided to take on Shaheen Afridi in the 18th over and brought the equation down to 31 in 2 overs.
Rauf kept things tight on the first four deliveries of the penultimate over to significantly tilt the scales in favor of Pakistan.
With 28 runs needed off eight deliveries, India needed two maximums and that was exactly what Kohli provided. An astonishing straight bat shot over long-on was followed by a nifty flick over the fine leg fielder, both yielding sixes.
Mohammad Nawaz kept things tight in the final over, but the six of a no-ball shifted the match massively in India’s favor. In the end, Ravichandran Ashwin chipped the final delivery over the mid-off fielder to get India over the finish line.