– Vinay Kumar
India’s first match in the ICC T20 World Cup, 2022 was with the team of the biggest enemy country Pakistan. It was a thrilling contest. India thrashed Pakistan in the last ball. In this match, Virat Kohli played an explosive unbeaten inning of 82 runs in 53 balls. The match played against Pakistan at the Melbourne Cricket Ground seemed to have gone out of India’s grasp at one point, but Virat Kohli became the troubleshooter and hoisted the tricolor on the impossible target.
At one point, India had to score 28 runs in 8 balls to win. The match was extreme. But, Virat Kohli turned the match around by hitting 2 consecutive sixes in the last 2 balls of the 19th over of bowler Haris Rauf. And it was thrilling till the last ball of the last over.
It is worth mentioning that ICC has selected 5 wonderful moments of T20 World Cup, 2022, which turned the tide of the match. In this list, the ICC has given a special place to that innings of Virat Kohli against Pakistan.
The ICC said, “India was in difficult times. It looked like he had done it too late, as 28 runs were required from just 8 balls. Haris Rauf was bowling sharp. Was bowling his fourth over with 2 balls left. Till that time Rauf had conceded only 24 runs in his entire spell. But, it was now or never for India and Virat Kohli.
Haris Rauf bowled the next ball, which was in good pace. The goal was not to give Kohli space to shoot. The ball was also thrown in the same way. But, on this ball, Kohli did what was impossible for any batsman. With the magic of his wrist, Virat (Virat Kohli) hit such a shot that the ball flying in the sky of Melbourne fell straight into the stands.
ICC said that that shot of Virat Kohli became history at that very moment. Significantly, on the ball after that six, Virat Kohli got India back by hitting another six. And, got a thrilling win in the last over.
The ICC praised Virat Kohli saying that Virat Kohli’s six off Haris Rauf’s 5th ball of the over was exceptional in view of the situation. Arguably, the best single shot ever in the history of T20I cricket.