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Cricket Players'Your captain had just gotten out. It was literally a nothing shot': Gambhir slams Kohli over his dismissal vs Pakistan
Kohli produced his trademark pull shot to show flashes of his old brilliance but holed out at long off against left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz.
Hardik Pandya has witnessed a stellar run since his return to world cricket. The flamboyant player has had his fair share of controversial moments and injuries but he currently is India's go-to all-rounder prior to this year's World T20 in Australia. Former skipper Virat Kohli, on the other hand, looks to rediscover his lost mojo. Kohli on Sunday played his 100th T20I and hit a nervy 35 off 34 deliveries against Pakistan in India's Asia Cup 2022 opener in Dubai. He produced his trademark pull shot to show flashes of his old brilliance but holed out at long off against left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz.
It was Pandya who didn’t let the game slip away with a 52-run partnership with Jadeja, who hit 35. The Baroda player finished off the game in style with a six over wide mid-on. He ended up scoring 33 off 17 deliveries.
Chasing 148 for the win, India got off to a shaky start with KL Rahul returning for a nought. Kohli then was dropped on zero by Fakhar Zaman at the second slip off the second ball he faced. But the Indian got past 30 before perishing off a half-hearted shot, which travelled straight to fielder Iftikhar Ahmed.
Former India opener Gautam Gambhir has questioned Kohli's dismissal, which reduced India to 53 for three in the 10th over. Captain Rohit Sharma had been dismissed on the last ball of Nawaz's previous over.
"He will be extremely disappointed because Rohit Sharma's wicket had just fallen and after that if you play a shot like that, it is good a youngster did not play that shot. There would have been a lot of criticism if a youngster had played that kind of shot," said Gambhir in a discussion on Star Sports.
"I am sure the number of runs he has scored in international cricket, when he sees this shot he will tell himself that the shot was not required. You played 34 balls and scored 35 runs, your captain had just gotten out, if you had built your innings a little more, things might have become easier," he added.
Before the game on Sunday, Kohli had played just four of India’s 24 T20s since the last T20 World Cup, which was also held in the UAE. He returned to international cricket following a seven-week break.
Gambhir described Kohli's hit as a "nothing" shot, especially when one is playing the fast-paced 20-over format.
"It is T20 cricket, you think at times that you should back your instincts and you did that, but it is a frustrating shot because it was a nothing shot. If you were looking to hit a six and had gotten out, there is no problem with that, because you are trying to play a big shot.
"Here neither did you try to hit a six nor did you find a gap. Literally, it was a nothing shot, probably that is why he will be even more disappointed," Gambhir elaborated.
