"When the kingdom falls, the King rises"- Fans go berserk as Virat Kohli snatches victory from the jaws of defeat in IND vs PAK match of T20 World Cup
Virat Kohli played one of the greatest T20 World Cup innings ever against Pakistan at the MCG on Sunday, October 23. His sensational unbeaten 82 off just 53 balls ensured Team India snatched victory from the jaws of defeat in the unlikeliest of fashions.
The Men in Blue were under immense pressure, reeling at 31/4 and it looked like Pakistan would beat them for the second time in a row in the T20 World Cups. However, that wasn't to be as Virat Kohli once again proved why he is arguably the greatest T20I batter ever.
Fans and former cricketers were thrilled to see Kohli pull off an incredible heist for India. Some even hailed him as the true GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) in the shortest format.
Former Indian leg-spinner Amit Mishra tweeted:
"When the kingdom falls, the king rises โฆ Take a bow King Kohli. #IndvsPak"
Here are some of the reactions:
When the kingdom falls, the king risesโฆ Take a bow King Kohli. #IndvsPak https://t.co/aDdOJwoZnU
Kohli genius. Two of the best shots you'll ever see in your life vs Pace.
Ashwin smartest cricketer ever. Went deep into the crease. Converted a full ball into a half volley. Just lofted over the inner ring.
Crying.
Log iski team mein jagah pe debate kar rahe the 2 mahine pehle...
Once in a generation player hai ๐
Kohli : Till today, I ranked my Mohali innings higher but considering the moment, I'll put rhis innings as the highest.
โค๏ธโค๏ธโค๏ธ
The KING is back ๐
Take a bow, Virat Kohli ๐
#T20WorldCup | #INDvPAK https://t.co/OdAnbmso0h
Picture of the Day: Rohit Sharma taking Virat Kohli in his shoulders. https://t.co/XU66FTvM9b
greatness personified @imVkohli 
Kept his cool @ashwinravi99 leaving that ball for a wide !!! What a game unbelievable!!โ #indiavspak is always more than a game โ itโs an emotion !!! ๐ฎ๐ณ greatness personified @imVkohli ๐
Few months ago Virat Kohli wasn't in the T20 World Cup team for many and in the first match of the T20 World Cup 2022, he proved that he is still the King ๐ https://t.co/5mvwoOT6pG
Take a bow @imVkohli ๐๐ฝ An innings for the ages. Congratulations team India ๐ฎ๐ณ๐๐ฝ #INDvPAK https://t.co/Z4aXVfb2wV
EAT. SLEEP. ๐ฆ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐. REPEAT. ๐๐
#OneFamily #T20WorldCup #INDvPAK @imVkohli https://t.co/76NTlsDc6B
Virat Kohli - you're a freaking legend!
82* (53) - under all sorts of trouble, he gave India a hope and won the match. The King once again proven why he's the king. https://t.co/IIq7HAbVoi
When the kingdom falls, the king risesโฆ Take a bow King Kohli. #IndvsPak https://t.co/aDdOJwoZnU
It's not long when Virat Kohli used to hear the words 'drop' for him from the T20 format. People told he should be dropped even from the World Cup.
Just the matter of time for this freak to prove who he literally is, in the very first match of the WC itself he proved. https://t.co/WQg5JTrxxv
WHAT. A. WIN. Take a bow @imVkohli !! ๐๐พ๐๐พ๐๐พ Amazing stuff!! So much composure and control!! Soaked up the pressure to take india through!! What a CHAMPION!!Couldn't have been a better way to bring in Diwali!! ๐ฅ๐ฅ
Virat Kohli. Chasing targets since โ08. ๐๐ฅ https://t.co/SB2iuNRxHk
Kohli will always be a champion cricketer, one of the best batsman ever to play the game and someone who makes us proud to be an Indian. ๐ฎ๐ณ #Truechampion @imVkohli
Poore desh ke liye bhai @imVkohli ne akele hi pathaake phod diye hai. Happy Diwali, India ๐ฎ๐ณ
VIRAT KOHLI.
Thatโs it. Thatโs the tweet.
#IndvPak
Virat Kohli & Hardik Pandya's partnership kept the match alive for India
The momentum seemed to have shifted towards Pakistan as their tail added some valuable runs towards the end to take them to 159 in the first innings. That confidence was seen in their bowling as the Men in Green came out all guns blazing.
Although Shaheen Afridi's spell was seen off by Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul, they didn't last long against the brilliance of Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah respectively. The in-form Suryakumar Yadav briefly showed some promise, but fell for just 15 runs.
Axar Patel's run-out seemed to tilt the game massively in Pakistan's favor as India still needed 129 runs. But Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya put together a crucial 113-run stand for the fifth wicket and kept them in the game.
The duo weren't going hammer and tongs, but just found boundaries at the right time to keep the chase alive. Kohli shifted gears in the penultimate over and smashed Haris Rauf for a couple of sixes to bring the equation down to just 16 off six balls.
With 13 runs needed from three balls, all seemed lost, but Kohli hit a six off a no-ball from Mohammad Nawaz that turned the game decisively in India's favor. Nawaz couldn't handle the pressure and Ravichandran Ashwin hit the winning runs off the last ball of the contest to give India a win for the ages.
It was an incredible match settled by a truly wonderful innings from Kohli.