'Jaan nikaalta hai vo bowler ki. I was scared': PAK pacer snubs Kohli, Dhoni to pick toughest wicket vs India in 2015 WC
The Pakistan pacer picked a five-wicket haul against India in the 2015 World Cup match. However, for the bowler, neither Kohli nor then skipper MS Dhoni, were his toughest dismissals.
Virat Kohli enjoys an excellent record against Pakistan, especially on the biggest stage. Although Kohli is among the few active players to have been part of the last Indian squad that had played a bilateral series against Pakistan, some of his best knocks against the arch-rivals have been in World Cups and Asia Cup meetings. One of those came in the 2015 World Cup where he had scored 107 in India's 76-run win the group-stage match. Pakistan did have their chances with fast bowler Sohail Khan picking five wickets, including that of Kohli. However, for the bowler, neither Kohli nor then-skipper MS Dhoni were his toughest dismissals.
Having played for Pakistan between 2008 and 2016, his 5 for 55 against India remains his best ever performance in a 13-match ODI career. It included the dismissals of some of the top batters of that period - Dhoni, Suresh Raina, an in-form Kohli. But for Sohail, it was Rohit Sharma's dismissal, which he admitted was the toughest.
Speaking on Nadir Ali's YouTube channel, the right-arm bowler admitted that because of Rohit's ability to play the ball late and him being a technically-sound batter, he was scared to bowl against him. He recalled having felt that if Rohit manages to survive his new-ball spell, he could have ended scoring a double century.
Rohit was eventually dismissed in the eighth over by Sohail for just 15 off 20.
“My plan was that, because I bowl with the new ball and the first batter that came to crease was Rohit Sharma, if I can dismiss him...because he plays the shots very late and is very technical. Jaan churana nehi, jaan nikalta hai woh bowler ki (He wasn't the kind of batter who gets rid of bowlers but rather saps the bowler's life out) . He has all the time in the world. Even if you bowl at 150kmph, he will still hit you for a six in the same fashion as he would do against a 120kmph delivery. He was the only player who I was scared of. If he manages to stay, he won't score a century, he will go for a 200. Good, I dismissed if then itself,” he said.
In response to India's target of 301, Pakistan folded for just 224 with Mohammed Shami picking a four-fer.
