"My house will get vandalised" - Azhar Ali on thoughts after dropping Virat Kohli in 2017 Champions Trophy final
Former Pakistan skipper Azhar Ali recently opened up on what went through his mind after he dropped Virat Kohli during the 2017 Champions Trophy final at the Oval.
Chasing 338 runs, many fancied Kohli to take India home convincingly. However, he failed to get going, getting out for five runs. During his brief stay in the middle, the talismanic run-scorer was dropped once by Ali.
Recalling the game, Ali revealed that he felt the pressure soon after dropping the catch. Ali added that he feared a harsh reaction from the countrymen had Kohli played a big knock and won the match for India.
"I saw it in reality," he said on 'Hasna Mana Hai'. "Between that drop catch and his dismissal, plenty of things flashed before my eyes. It felt as if I have been burdened with weight and pressure, and that the entire world is watching me and asking as if 'Look what he's done'.
"That was my feeling and I thought 'God forbid, if he does what he is famous for... if he chases this down - he scores a lot in chases - my house will get vandalised'. Fortunately, I was just thinking about all these scenarios and he got out the next ball," he added further.
The Men in Blue were eventually bundled out for 158 runs while chasing 339, thanks to Mohammad Amir and Hasan Ali, who scalped six wickets between each other to break the backbone of India's batting.
Virat Kohli will next be seen in action during IPL 2023
Virat Kohli has joined the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) to participate in the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
He was present at the RCB Unbox event at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Sunday, March 26, where Chris Gayle and AB de Villiers were felicitated for their contributions to the franchise.
The former RCB skipper has already kickstarted his preparations as Bangalore look to win their maiden title this year.
RCB will begin their IPL 2023 campaign against Mumbai Indians (MI) on Sunday, April 2, at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.