Former India captain Virat Kohli is not a regular when it comes to picking up the ball. After six long years – for the first time since the 2016 T20 World Cup semi-final against West Indies – Kohli decided to extend his hand in the India vs Hong Kong Asia Cup 2022 match in Dubai on Wednesday (August 31).
Kohli, who scored a half-century with the bat after a long time, conceded only six runs in an over. The 33-year-old, who had scored his 31st T20I fifty earlier in the day, came out to bowl the 17th over of Hong Kong’s innings. Kohli bowled in a T20 International for the first time since the 2016 T20 World Cup semi-final match against West Indies in Mumbai.
Here’s a look at Virat Kohli bowling against Hong Kong…
king bowling #Virat Kohli #INDvHK pic.twitter.com/AWtzBbvsOH— CS (@_C_S___) 31 August 2022
In that game, which was played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on March 31, 2016, Kohli dismissed WI opener Johnson Charles on the first ball of his spell. Overall, in 101 T20I matches so far, Virat has bowled on 12 occasions and taken 4 wickets, with his best figures of 1/13 against England at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on October 29, 2011.
Star of the match, after securing a spot in the Super Four stage of the ongoing Asia Cup 2022 Suryakumar Yadav He said that he is ready to bat anywhere and added that it was a touching gesture from Virat Kohli as the former India captain bowed to Suryakumar after the innings ended. Suryakumar Yadav’s 68 not out, Virat Kohli’s 59 not out and Ravindra Jadeja’s quick fielding helped India qualify directly for the Super Four stage of the ongoing Asia Cup 2022 after beating Hong Kong by 40 runs at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium here on Wednesday. Of.
His scintillating innings left Virat Kohli in awe as the former India captain bowed to Suryakumar after the innings. “It was a heartwarming gesture by Virat Kohli. Because I’ve never seen it. I saw him not moving forward and said let’s go together. He has so much experience, I enjoyed batting with him. In a situation like this match one has to have experience. Because I haven’t played so many games yet,” Suryakumar said at the post-match press conference.
Suryakumar’s batting was brilliant. The number four batsman scored a half-century in just 22 balls and ended India’s innings with four sixes in the last over. Talking about his brilliant innings, Suryakumar said, “The situation was such that I had to go to the crease and play fast. Because the wicket was a bit slow in the beginning, I spoke to Virat Kohli, he said, ‘Just express yourself and bat as you bat’. My plan was also very clear on how to bat so it was fun.”
(with ANI inputs)