‘He had to stay till the end’- Hardik Pandya recalls Kohli’s MCG heroics against Pakistan

On the international scene, a number of cricket players have excelled in numerous ICC competitions. Virat Kohli’s incredible 82-run performance against Pakistan in the 2022 T20 World Cup, played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, has been surpassed by very few, though.

To date, Virat Kohli has been praised for his spectacular performance in the high-stakes match, as he persevered until the very end to help the team overcome a surprising collapse for a not-so-difficult aim set by the Babar Azam-led team.

The run chase that saw India cross the finish line in a thrilling last-ball match was most notably defined by his partnership with Hardik Pandya.

In a recent interview, Pandya discussed the game and how the pair’s middle-field batting was a pivotal moment when they both had great expectations and confidence in their ability to succeed.

Pandya said that they considered hitting the target ball by ball and decided to focus on Pakistan’s weaknesses in order to create the ideal chase out of the match.

“Obviously, my initial thought was that we could succeed. It seemed like a pretty difficult hill to climb, but I’ve played a lot of games where you don’t lose until you give up, don’t you think? In a recent ICC video, Hardik Pandya stated, “Staying at the crease, believing in ourselves, and playing the game ball by ball, step by step,”

Watch to see who loses it under duress. In this game, I wanted Virat to play for as long as he could. My only instruction to him when I first entered was to wait until the 20th over,” Pandya continued.

When it comes to the game, Virat Kohli scored an undefeated 82 from 53 deliveries, which featured four sixes and six fours. The exciting battle has already been added to the list of the greatest India vs. Pakistan matches in history. In particular, Virat’s six to Haris Rauf in the nineteenth over may have been a turning point in his career to the modern-day maestro.