IND vs PAK 2022: "He has written history with his bat" - Aakash Chopra lauds Virat Kohli's match-winning knock

Aakash Chopra has lauded Virat Kohli for playing a match-winning knock in India's T20 World Cup 2022 opener against Pakistan in Melbourne on Sunday, October 23.

India were reduced to a score of 31/4 in pursuit of a 160-run target. Kohli then smashed an unbeaten 82 off 53 deliveries as the Men in Blue registered a four-wicket win off the very last ball of their innings.

While reviewing the game in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra was all praise for Kohli, saying:

"Virat Kohli - run-machine, the chase master, modern master, he has written history with his bat and set an example. Examples are not forgotten, they are given, fantastic batting. We have seen many Virat Kohli knocks, it is a long list, but this might go at the top of that."

Chopra picked the former Indian skipper as his Player of the Match. The former India opener reasoned:

"My Player of the Match is none other than Virat Kohli. What a player he is, India were 31/4 and struggling. He was going slower than run-a-ball and trying to build an innings because Axar had also gotten out. Only Dinesh Karthik was there after Hardik Pandya. Ravichandran Ashwin was there but he won't score 70 runs."

Kohli was duly chosen as the official Player of the Match. He strung together a 113-run partnership with Hardik Pandya to bring them back into the game when India were in deep trouble at 31/4.

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"Fitness was the highlight" - Aakash Chopra on Virat Kohli's knock

Virat Kohli paced his innings to perfection.

Chopra was particularly in awe of the fitness levels demonstrated by Kohli. He explained:

"This player at the start concentrated on singles and doubles. We ask why the Yo-Yo Test is done, but when it is a huge ground like Melbourne, you need the ability to convert singles into doubles and doubles into three runs. I think fitness was the highlight."

The reputed commentator feels the modern batting great's straight six against Haris Rauf will be remembered for a long time. He observed:

"There were some moments, the Haris Rauf over, you needed 28 runs off eight balls. Then the straight six he hit with a flat bat off a short-pitched ball, it is one for the ages, this does not happen easily. After that, he hit a six to fine leg, two sixes off two balls."

Chopra concluded by stating that Kohli played a majestic knock to help India win a close encounter. He elaborated:

"We needed gettable runs off the last over. Then he hit another six off a full toss. He was at the non-striker's end in the end but it was Virat who did the job. Kohli played a Virat knock and won India a match that was hanging in the balance."

Kohli struck two consecutive sixes off Haris Rauf's bowling when India needed 28 runs off the final eight balls. Although India lost Pandya and Dinesh Karthik's wickets in the final over, Kohli kept his cool and finished the chase in the company of Ravichandran Ashwin.