IND vs PAK 2022: "You cannot take Virat Kohli lightly" - Saqlain Mushtaq's stern warning to Pakistan

Former Pakistan cricketer Saqlain Mushtaq believes his country will need to be wary of world-class batter Virat Kohli when they lock horns with India at the Asia Cup on Sunday, August 28.

The 33-year-old hasn't been in the greatest of forms of late and was given a decent break with the hope that he will rediscover his form.

Mushtaq is of the opinion that although Kohli isn't in great touch, that doesn't take anything away from the fact that he has arguably been one of India's biggest match-winners for over a decade.

Speaking in an exclusive chat with Sportskeeda on Friday, here's what Saqlain Mushtaq had to say about the former Indian captain:

"You cannot take Virat Kohli lightly. Even if he isn't in form, he has ruled the cricketing world for 12-15 years and is keen on a chance to score big. So he is definitely not someone who can be underestimated."

Saqlain Mushtaq on Pakistan players to watch out for

Saqlain Mushtaq has earmarked Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Shadab Khan as the players who will be crucial for the Men in Green in their upcoming clash against India. Babar and Riwan already showed what they are capable of when Pakistan thumped India by 10 wickets at the T20 World Cup last year.

Azan Ahmad

@azanahmad257

Chahal talking about about Babar and Rizwan.
#pakvsind

107

9

Chahal talking about about Babar and Rizwan.
#pakvsind https://t.co/D85wnrEIEw

The 45-year-old believes leg-spinner Shadab Khan is also someone who can win a game with his all-round skills. On this, Mushtaq stated:

"Pakistan will definitely rely on Babar Azam. The world has seen his consistency and hopefully he will continue to do so. Rizwan has a special formula and mindset for T20 cricket that has helped him top the charts in 2021. Shadab Khan is also capable of single-handedly winning the game with both bat and ball."

Can India break the Babar-Rizwan opening stand early to make in-roads into the inexperienced Pakistan middle-order? Which match-up are you looking forward to the most? Let us know in the comments.

​