'Don’t think any other player can hit a shot like that off my bowling' - Haris Rauf looks back on Virat Kohli's innings

Virat Kohli and Harris Rauf (Source; Twitter)

In India’s 20-20 World Cup 2022 opener against Pakistan, Virat Kohli was in his beast mode as he launched an all-out attack on the Pakistan bowlers. In what was an innings for the ages, he scored a superb unbeaten 82 off 53 balls with six fours and four sixes. This amazing innings by the former India captain handed a four-wicket win for the Men in Blue.

The highlight of the knock came from Kohli in the fourth ball of the 18th over where he smashed a six straight back down the ground off a slower delivery which was bowled by Haris Rauf. Rauf himself was left in shock and awe and more than a month later he talked about that electrifying shot that lit up the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Here is what he said, "The way he played in the World Cup, that is his class, we all know the types of shots he plays. And the way he hit those sixes, I don’t think any other player can hit a shot like that off my bowling," Rauf told Cricwick Pakistan News Channel. “If Dinesh Karthik aur Hardik Pandya would’ve hit those sixes, I would’ve been hurting but those came off Kohli’s bat and he is a different class altogether,” he added further.

That shot from Virat Kohli was all class: Haris Rauf

The momentum shifted in India’s favour after Kohli got 12 runs off the last two balls when they disappeared for back-to-back sixes which meant that India needed 16 off the last over. “Look, India required 31 off the last 12 balls. I had given away only three runs off four deliveries. I knew Nawaz was bowling the last over, he is a spinner and I had tried to leave at least four big boundaries for him and leave at least more than 20 runs," Rauf added.

 I had bowled three slower balls and he was deceived. I had only bowled one quick ball out of four. So the idea was to bowl a slower one on that back-of-a-length zone since the boundary was larger on the square side. “I had no idea that he can hit me down the ground off that length. So when he hit that shot off me, that’s his class. My plan and execution was fine but that shot was all class.” Rauf added. India won the game off the last ball.