Former Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq praised Virat Kohli for his strong mental strength under pressure and against big teams. Kohli played the best T20I knock of his career when India and Pakistan faced off in the 2022 T20 World Cup and has been a key figure in India’s big moments over the years.
The batting maestro was also the leading run-getter in the 2023 ODI World Cup, scoring over 700 runs including three centuries, surpassing the ODI tons of the legendary Sachin Tendulkar.
Misbah talked about the pressure of playing in the tense match between IND and PAK, as he himself had a good performance against the Men in Blue. The former Pakistan captain scored 550 runs in 17 ODIs and 96 runs in two T20Is against India.
“Playing in an India vs Pakistan match, everyone feels pressure. Whenever we play India, if we start well, we can play confidently and comfortably. When we play, it’s about the players. It’s in your muscle memory and in your mind, ‘Well, you really have a huge impact on the match and so does your position during the match,’ Misbah told Star Sports.
‘Instead of taking pressure, Virat Kohli derives motivation from it’: Misbah
He also praised Kohli for his sensational performance under pressure in the big match. In 16 ODIs against Pakistan, the Indian batting maestro scored 678 runs, including three centuries, and 488 runs in 12 T20Is.
“Virat Kohli performed well in all the matches against many teams, especially against Pakistan. He played so many innings in crucial junctures and caused a lot of damage to Pakistan. . So even in the heart of Pakistan, there is a mentality, there is a mentality.”Even in the heart of Kohli, he knows that he can perform well against Pakistan. He’s the kind of player who, when faced with big opportunities, draws motivation from the pressure rather than being under pressure. I felt I had to do something because we were in a bad situation and that was a factor for Virat as well and he is a top class cricketer so I felt like I had to do something like we did for India. We couldn’t play against such a strong team. Champions Trophy, Pakistan or any team has to get him out early,” he added.
Meanwhile, Kohli, who has led the Orange Caps record in the IPL, has faced criticism regarding his strike rate as he has failed to increase his attacking power in the middle overs of the innings since the beginning of the season.
However, Kohli has silenced his critics by playing against spinners in the last few matches and playing at a healthy strike rate throughout the innings. In the last three matches, Kohli has scored over 40 runs with a strike rate of over 150.
Misbah also slammed Kohli’s critics, saying the opposition is never safe when Kohli is in the middle.
“You can talk all you want about his strike rate, but he is a player who knows how to win games and is used to playing games. There is no safe situation or position when he is in the crease.” he concluded.
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