"Don’t think he can do that again" - Haris Rauf on Virat Kohli's straight six during the T20 World Cup 2022 match at MCG
Pakistan speedster Haris Rauf has said that Virat Kohli's straight six in his final over of the T20 World Cup 2022 game against India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) still hurts. However, the right-arm pacer doubts that Kohli would hit such a shot again.
With 22 required off eight, the right-hander hit a back-of-a-length ball for a six straight past the bowler's head, followed by a flick of the wrists for another maximum over fine leg. The equation came down to 16 off the final over, and India prevailed in a dramatic finish.
On the popular show titled 'Hasna Mana Hai', Rauf said that Kohli's incredible overhead six 'hurt' him. However, the 28-year-old reckons such shots do not come every day and that the timing made it go for a six, saying:
"Of course, it hurt when that went for a six. I didn’t say anything, but it hurt me personally. I thought something wrong had happened. Anyone who knows cricket knows what sort of a player he is. He has played that shot now; I don’t think he can do that again. Such shots are quite rare; you can’t hit them again and again. His timing was perfect, and it went for a six."
Kohli's unbeaten innings of 82 off 53 earned him widespread praise as he propelled India to a seemingly improbable victory.
Chasing 160 for victory, the Men in Blue slumped to 31-4 in the seventh over before a 113-run partnership between Kohli and Hardik Pandya set the stage for a memorable four-wicket win.
Haris Rauf had earlier dismissed Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav
Defending a modest 159, Pakistan's pace trio breathed fire in the powerplay, dismissing Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Suryakumar Yadav cheaply. The Melbourne Stars paceman sent the crowd in a frenzy by getting rid of Rohit and Suryakumar, while Naseem Shaha removed KL Rahul.
However, Kohli's heroics and his partnership with Pandya overshadowed their efforts.
Nevertheless, Pakistan reached the final, meeting England at the same venue. The decider also saw Rauf bowl with venom, removing Jos Buttler and Phil Salt to finish with figures of 4-0-23-2. England eventually won the contest, though, thanks to Ben Stokes' match-winning unbeaten fifty.