Watch: Haris Rauf expressed amazement at the six that Virat Kohli hit off him during last year’s India-Pakistan clash in the 2022 T20 World Cup when the two met up ahead of the 2023 Asia Cup clash on Saturday.
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Kohli’s six off Rauf from the fifth ball of the 19th over of the match, when India needed 28 off 8 balls in Sydney, has been described as “arguably the greatest single T20 shot of all time” by the ICC. Ian Smith called the hit a “nigh-on impossible” stroke by a normal human being.
Chasing 160, India were reduced to 31-4 before Kohli and Hardik Pandya came together for an 113-run stand. But with 31 needed off the final two overs, the pressure was on Kohli. Rauf, bowling the penultimate over, conceded only three runs from his first four balls as the equation grew even tougher.
On the fifth ball, Rauf sent down a short delivery on the stumps, which Kohli thumped straight over the bowler’s head for a maximum. The shot left the cricketing world in awe, with the anatomy and precision of the hit being dissected worldwide. Kohli finished the over with another six, and eventually helped India to a nervy win.
Rauf, who caught up with the India batter on Friday (September 1), a day before the two neighbours face-off in the Asia Cup, brought up the maximum and credited Kohli for the brilliant hit.
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In a video shared by the Pakistan Cricket Board on X (Twitter), Rauf tells Kohli: “I keep remembering that Australia six in Sydney. What even was that?”
Kohli took in the praise and went on to ask Rauf how his body was holding up before the World Cup. “Is your body fine?”
“I’m at it [practising and keeping fit] continuously,” says Rauf. “We have back-to-back matches.”
Kohli chips in and says, “It’s important to have continuous games. 50-over games are hard as we have not played them enough recently.”
Rauf went on to tell Kohli that playing India is always exciting before the two shook hands and parted ways.
Watch the conversation between Kohli and Rauf here:
Pakistan and India players meet up ahead of Saturday's #PAKvIND match in Kandy ✨#AsiaCup2023 pic.twitter.com/iP94wjsX6G
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) September 1, 2023
