Wish Virat Kohli scores a ton in Asia Cup, but not against us: Pakistan all-rounder Shadab Khan
Shadab Khan was asked if Virat Kohli doesn't instil fear anymore. | Photo - AFP/Twitter |
Senior batter Virat Kohli will be making his comeback for the Indian team in the Asia Cup 2022 which gets underway on Saturday (August 27). Kohli opted for a short hiatus from cricket after India's tour of England last month and missed the West Indies and Zimbabwe tours.
Kohli's struggle with the bat has been well documented as the former India captain has failed to deliver consistently for the Men in Blue across three formats over the last couple of years. His flop show on the England tour had even led to calls for his axing from the T20I squad, however, Kohli retained the faith of captain Rohit Sharma and the team management.
Ahead of his much-awaited comeback in the blockbuster India-Pakistan clash on Sunday (August 28), Pakistan all-rounder Shadab Khan was asked if Kohli "doesn't instil fear in the minds of bowlers anymore". Shadab responded saying that teams are still a 'bit scared' when Kohli comes out to bat.
"They (the former cricketers) don't play anymore, that's why they think that he doesn't instil fear. He is a legend of the game, he has performed quite a lot. Whenever he comes, you are a bit scared because he is a big player. We don't want him to play a long innings against us,” the Pakistan all-rounder told reporters.
After an average campaign for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in IPL 2022, Kohli had skipped India's home series against South Africa and marked his return against England. His woeful run with the willow continued against the hosts as the senior India batter could only manage 76 runs across all formats on the tour.
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Kohli will be eager to bounce back to form when he makes his comeback against Pakistan on Sunday. While Shadab backed Kohli to score a century in the tournament, he said he wishes the ton doesn't come against Pakistan.
“I pray that he returns to how he was. He is performing good even now, but the standards that he has set.. they make it feel as if he is out of form. I personally wish that he scores a century, not against us, but against some other team in this tournament,” said the Pakistan all-rounder.