Naseem Shah opens up on facing Virat Kohli for first time; gears up for PSL opener
Naseem Shah opens up on facing Kohli for first time; gears up for PSL opener
Pakistan seamer Naseem Shah has opened up on his first-ever battle with India great Virat Kohli during the 2022 Asia Cup in the UAE. Shah, who recovered from a shoulder injury suffered ahead of the 2023 World Cup, will feature for his new team in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) – Islamabad United. As PSL 2024 gets underway on Sunday (Feb 17), Islamabad will face defending champions Lahore Qalandars in the opener in Lahore.
Speaking on the Islamabad United podcast, Naseem recalled his T20I debut against India in Dubai, wherein he impressed with his new-ball exploits. Detailing about dealing with the pressure of a crowd favourite India-Pakistan game, Naseem said having played Tests and ODIs earlier helped calm his nerves.
“I have good memories of my T20I debut against India. India versus Pakistan is the most important match when it comes to the crowds and intensity on the field, and that was my debut match. I was naturally a bit nervous since it was my debut. But the good thing for me was that I had played a lot of cricket before; I had played Tests and ODIs, which helped me,” Naseem said.
ALSO READ:Blow to New Zealand as Kyle Jamieson ruled for one year due to persisting stress fracture in back
In that game, Naseem picked two wickets, removing KL Rahul (in his first over) and getting rid of Suryakumar Yadav later. On taking on Virat Kohli in that contest, Naseem revealed he thought Kohli would go boom-boom from the ball one and, therefore, bowled two swinging cutters to the batting great.
“When Virat Kohli came into bat, I thought he would go hard. So, I bowled an in-swinger hoping that it might catch his pad, but he let it go. The next delivery, I bowled an out-swinger that caught the edge, but yeah, the catch got dropped. But it was a good experience because when you make your debut against a big team and under so much pressure, then you get a margin in other matches,” the 21-year-old seamer added.
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
National Handloom Day 2026: From Alia Bhatt to Samantha Ruth Prabhu; Actresses who celebrated India's textile heritage as brides
)
The Royals enter the Doctor Who universe: King Charles and Queen Camilla beam into Commonwealth Games in TARDIS
)
Unitree Robotics targets $9 billion valuation in landmark IPO backed by DeepSeek and Tencent
)
India names 27 sites in Arunachal Pradesh
)
Bharat Bhhagya Viddhaata OTT: When will Kangana Ranaut's film stream online?
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How many soldiers operate one S-400 battery?
)
Shakib Al Hasan ready to return to Bangladesh—under one condition
)
‘Fake news’: MEA rejects report claiming India sought defence pact with Israel after Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey deal
)
Rockstar to unveil GTA 6 extended look ahead of November launch
)
Russia forms Ukrainian Volunteer Spetsnaz Brigade to fight Ukraine
)
Drug-resistant fungus that hides in hair and enters bloodstream reported in 23 US states
)
Technology transfer deal boosts India's defence manufacturing ambitions
)
Border row erupts in Europe after Ceuta crossings, Spain imposes border controls on Italy
)
Morale plummets on USS Abraham Lincoln: Are US sailors reaching a breaking point? | GRAVITAS
)
'Security can't be bought with Pakistan, Turkey deal': Iran tells Saudi Arabia
)
Baba Vanga's 2026 prophecy: 2 predictions 'already came true', 3 terrifying ones remain. Details inside
)
Colombia’s new president Abelardo de la Espriella vows to ‘defeat narco-terrorists’, signals hardline shift
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
New Friday OTT releases (August 7, 2026): Operation Safed Sagar, Vadhandhi, Main Vaapis Aaunga- 6 movies and TV shows on Netflix, Prime Video and more
)
Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth scripts history as Indian Air Force gets its first woman ‘Top Gun’ pilot
)
RSS says Gen Z protests reflect genuine distress
)
Trump says Iranian school bombing photos could be AI-generated - 'I don’t think...'
)
IAF officer held for sharing sensitive information in 'honey trap' case, booked under Official Secrets Act
)
Stray Kids under scrutiny? Fans react to Grammy submission silence after BTS boycott
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI doesn't need external fuel tanks to fly vast distances
)
Jugal Hansraj reunites with Shekhar Kapur after 40 years for Masoom: The Next Generation
)
New speed limits, automatic challans: Big traffic change coming to Delhi-Meerut Expressway. All you need to know
)
India officially names 27 places in Arunachal to counter China's renaming claims
)
Trump calls White House ballroom ruling a 'national disgrace' as court says Congress approval needed
)
US sanctions Iran’s crypto network after Strait of Hormuz attacks, offers $15m bounty for intel on IRGC finance
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI is one of the heaviest fighters ever built
)
Uttarakhand young innovator builds India's own flying vehicle, conducts first test flight: WATCH
)
Chilling video shows students take cover as teen opens fire at Thai school
)
Reese Witherspoon's father hospitalised after poolside incident in Nashville: Report
Naseem back in action
After missing out on a major chunk of matches late last year, including the latter half of the 2023 Asia Cup and then the World Cup in India, Shah is raring to go for his new team in the PSL.
Shah was earlier part of the Quetta Gladiators setup and switched teams ahead of the upcoming season.
