T20 World Cup 2021: "All we need to do is stop Virat Kohli from scoring runs"- Khaliq Dad Noori's advice for Afghanistan ahead of IND-AFG tie
Former Afghanistan pacer Khaliq Dad Noori has advised Mohammad Nabi's side to stop Virat Kohli from making runs in the crunch India-Afghanistan tie on Wednesday. The 37-year-old mentioned that Afghanistan have plans against the Indian skipper in order to get him out early.
Afghanistan will clash against a diffident Indian side in Match 33 of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2021. Having already won two out of their three games, the Afghans will aim to strengthen their chances of qualifying for the knockout stages of the tournament.
In an exclusive interview with the Times of India, former Afghanistan quick Khaliq Noori described India's ace batter Virat Kohli as the biggest threat to Afghanistan bowlers. Noori said:
"'All we need to do is stop Virat Kohli from scoring runs. If we manage to do so, we will take other Indian batsmen down easily. We have plans against Virat and we are thinking about him. He is our main target. He is a star batsman and if he is set, his is not an easy wicket to claim. So, we have to stop him."
Virat Kohli has only played a solitary T20I against Afghanistan in his career. However, in that particular T20 World Cup 2012 encounter, the 32-yead-old Indian captain smashed a 39-ball half-century in Colombo.
Afghanistan's bowling is far stronger than India's: Khaliqdad Noori
The former 37-year-old pacer also opined that Afghanistan's bowling unit is far superior to India's. The trio of Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rehman and skipper Mohammad Nabi has been phenomenal in the tournament so far. On the other hand, the Indian bowling division, apart from Jasprit Bumrah, have looked toothless.
While mentioning that the Indian team will be under immense pressure heading into the match, Khaliq Noori said:
"We (Afghanistan) have a good opportunity against India. The pressure will be on India, not Afghanistan. Our bowling is far stronger than India. Let's accept it. Our spinners are world-class. It's going to be a good match."
The crunch tie between the two teams will be played at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi and will begin from 7:30 pm IST today.