"Till the time Virat is there, India haven't lost the match"- Mohammad Amir recalls Virat Kohli's sensational 82* against Pakistan in T20 World Cup
Former Pakistan speedster Mohammad Amir recalled the conversation he had with fellow former pacer Wahab Riaz when India's Virat Kohli stood between Pakistan and victory during their encounter in the T20 World Cup 2022.
Riaz was pretty confident that Pakistan would win the game, but Amir was wary of why the game was never over until Kohli was present at the crease.
Speaking to TOI, here's what Mohammad Amir had to say about that magical knock from Virat Kohli:
"I was watching that match on the television screen. Wahab Riaz was sitting beside me. When 48 runs were needed off 3 overs, I told Riaz 'India match haara nahi hai' (India haven't lost the game yet). I told him 'Till the time Virat is there, India haven't lost the match'. I guaranteed him that. No batter in the world could play that miraculous knock, only Virat could."
He further added:
"The word pressure is not there in Virat's cricketing dictionary. If you ask Virat, he will surely say that that knock vs Pakistan was the best innings of his life. Virat will be a dangerman for every team in the World Cup. He is in top and red-hot form. His confidence is at another level at the moment."
Virat Kohli has played a huge role in Mohammed Siraj's career: Mohammad Amir
Mohammad Amir believes Virat Kohli had a massive impact on Mohammad Siraj's transformation from being a bowler who leaked runs to becoming one of the most reliable pacers for the Men in Blue.
Amir feels Kohli and others at RCB helped Siraj get his confidence back and stated:
"I would give credit to RCB. They have played a big role in his development. Virat Kohli has played a big role in his career. In fact, Siraj has said this many times that Virat supports him a lot. The more you play, the better you become. Siraj didn't take any rest and played a lot of games. That's a good sign."
Amir further elaborated:
"India did a very good thing that they didn't write off Siraj. India supported him in every situation. Siraj gained a lot of confidence from that support. India continued to play him in every format. In Tests, he is at par with Shami and taking India's pace attack to another level. He is doing well for India in all formats."
Siraj is currently the No. 1 ranked ODI bowler going into the World Cup beginning on October 5 in India.