'I don't want him to...' - Shoaib Akhtar wants Virat Kohli to take retirement from T20I

Shoaib Akhtar, Virat Kohli (Image Source: Twitter)

Virat Kohli’s unbeaten 82 helped India clinch an emphatic win against Pakistan on October 23, Sunday. After facing one of the worst phases of his life prior to the Asia Cup, Kohli bounced back in the continental tournament and in the T20I series against Australia and South Africa.

When Indian star batters Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Suryakumar Yadav struggled to make it big, Kohli, who dealt with singles and doubles early in the innings, fired it up in the end and eventually won the game for the Men in Blue. Shoaib Akhtar, who was impressed with Kohli’s performance, said that the batter was back with a bang and also requested the Indian giant to retire from the shortest format of the game. The former Pakistani pacer also revealed the reason and said that the batter needs to shift his energies towards ODI and Test cricket.

“He is back with a bang. I want him to retire from T20I because I don't want that he puts his entire energy in T20I cricket. With similar commitment like today, he can score three centuries in ODIs,” Akhtar said on his YouTube channel.

“Jab Irade toot-te hai toh yakeen bahar aata hai aur jab yakeen pukhta ho jata hai toh character bahar aata hai and uska naam Virat Kohli hai (When you’re down, self-confidence has to be revived and when confidence gets consolidated, character gets channelised and Virat Kohli is a personification of the same)” Akhtar said further.

Pakistan have done marvelously well: Akhtar

Further, the former pacer said that the Indian team held on to their nerves and also lauded the Men in Green for almost winning the game. Akhtar said that World Cup begins only when the arch-rivals clash and added that Sunday’s clash was a pack of everything.

“Pakistan have done marvelously well. Don’t be down, you all really played well. India did really well… they won one of the best matches in the history. It was a complete World Cup match. It had everything- dropped catch, run-out, no-ball, controversies, stumping. World Cup has just started, World Cup begins only when India-Pakistan play and the two teams will face off again. Pakistan will see India again, later in this World Cup” said Akhtar further.