“Main aisa hairan hua,” Rashid Khan said as he related the unexpected Virat Kohli story.

Virat Kohli, the master of Indian cricket, put an end to a difficult two-year stretch in which he struggled with inconsistent form and raised doubts about his place in the Indian batting lineup. Kohli silenced his detractors with an incredible T20I century against Afghanistan in the 2022 Asia Cup, ending a long-standing drought. Kohli, the competition’s all-time top-run scorer, continued to struggle to find his flow in the 2022 Indian Premier League season. He scored 341 runs at an average of 22.73 in 16 games.

Even so, Kohli’s unwavering work ethic was evident during the difficult period. Rashid Khan, the Afghanistan spinner for the Gujarat Titans, saw firsthand Kohli’s relentless dedication throughout the 2022 IPL season. Before their encounter against RCB, the spinner was taken aback to witness Kohli spending long hours in the net, honing his craft and getting ready for the game.

“We had an IPL match the next day against RCB. I was only keeping track of Virat’s time in the nets. To be honest, he batted for two and a half hours. I was taken aback by the main protagonist, Aisa Hairan Hua. Even after our nets were cleared, he continued to bat there. He played us and scored about 70 the following day. Rashid Khan, according to One Cricket, “has a very positive mindset.”

Even with the slump in form, he noted that Kohli’s perfect timing in practice didn’t show a batsman struggling with form. Particularly in Test cricket, when he regularly faced difficult circumstances and produced outstanding performances, Rashid Khan praised Kohli’s tenacity.

“He bats and plays such amazing shots that I don’t think he’s out of form at all.” There are far higher expectations. Everyone wants him to score 100 points in every other game. His innings in Test matches show that he batted well, persevered through difficult situations, and managed to go out for 50, 60, or 70 runs.

Rashid Khan continued, “If it had been any other regular batter, everyone would have said that he was in form, but with Virat, people only expect centuries.”

When India plays in the second Twenty20 of the series on January 14 at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore, it would be interesting to watch Kohli’s performance. He last participated in a T20 match at the Australia 2022 World Cup, and he is about to return to the format after a lengthy absence.