Former Pakistan batter Ahmed Shehzad has issued a warning to the Pakistan bowlers, saying that a Virat Kohli special is around the corner and it might come in the blockbuster Champions Trophy clash on Sunday.
“Virat Kohli played a good knock against England in tough conditions (52 in third ODI at Ahmedabad). When you are short of runs and you come up with such an innings, then your feet (movement), body language, all those things fall in place and help, which will be very good from Virat’s point of view,” Shehzad said in a video on his YouTube channel.
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Famously called the ‘chase-master’ in white-ball cricket, Kohli hasn’t lately enjoyed the kind of success that made him a batting legend.
Since 2024, Kohli has appeared in 6 ODIs, scoring just 137 runs with a highest of 52 and average of 22.83. However, he ended 2023 with a bang, scoring 765 runs in 11 matches of the 50-over World Cup at home.
“He is such a player who plays a magical innings in a big match. Remember how he snatched the match out of Pakistan’s jaws,” Shehzad said, pointing towards Kohli’s 82 not out in the 2022 T20 World Cup when he took Haris Rauf to the cleaners.
However, Shehzad added that India’s top four must play out 35-40 overs in Sunday’s match in Dubai to not expose their three allrounders — Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja — early.
“It (having all-rounders in the eleven) can work for you in T20Is, like Rohit Sharma says it adds depth to the line-up. But the captain would know that if you lose early wickets in ODIs, you have to plan your innings; to reach the desired target, you need proper batters. That game-awareness the all-rounders may not have,” Shehzad analysed.
After their defeat to New Zealand in the opening match, Pakistan’s match against India becomes crucial to their semifinal chances. Meanwhile, India enter this contest with confidence following their dominant six-wicket victory over Bangladesh.
The two highest-placed teams from both groups advance to the semifinal stage of the Champions Trophy.
