R Ashwin has shared his perspective on Virat Kohli’s incredible performance during India’s thrilling victory over Pakistan at the MCG in the T20 World Cup last year. According to Ashwin, Kohli appeared to be possessed during the match. Kohli played a pivotal role in India’s successful chase, with Ashwin hitting the winning runs. Pakistan had set a target of 159 runs in their 20 overs, courtesy of half-centuries from Shan Masood and Iftikhar Ahmed.
India’s chase got off to a rocky start, and they found themselves struggling at 31/4 in 6.1 overs. However, Kohli and Hardik Pandya stabilized the innings and kept India in the game, despite the challenging required run rate. Kohli played two remarkable sixes off Haris Rauf, which kept India’s hopes alive. In the final over, India needed 16 runs, but Pandya was dismissed off the first ball by Mohammed Nawaz. Kohli, on the fourth ball, hit a six, which was deemed a no-ball due to its height.
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Nawaz followed up with a wide, and Kohli managed to score three runs off the ensuing free hit, despite being bowled. The situation became even more tense when Dinesh Karthik was dismissed, leaving India needing two runs off the final ball. Ashwin recalled his thoughts during that crucial moment and jokingly cursed Karthik for assigning him the tough job. He admitted that the immense pressure hit him as he walked in to bat, with the crowd’s deafening noise amplifying the situation.
“I was cursing Dinesh Karthik for asking me to do the tougher job. As I was just cursing him and I walked in, I realized the enormity of what I was getting into – people yelling. I haven’t seen such a crowd ever,” shared R Ashwin.
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Ashwin also revealed a conversation he had with Kohli before facing the last ball. Kohli provided him with seven options to play that delivery, showcasing his strategic mindset. Ashwin humorously admitted that he couldn’t execute all those shots as he batted at No. 8. When Ashwin looked at Kohli, he felt like his teammate was in a different zone, completely focused and determined.
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“Virat Kohli gave me like 7 options to play off that one ball. If only I was that capable of playing all those shots, I wouldn’t be batting at No. 8. I just talked to myself – I couldn’t say that to him. I looked at Virat and his eyes seemed like he was possessed. And I said, okay, he’s on another planet, let me come back to earth,” R Ashwin explained.
In the end, Nawaz bowled a wide, resulting in the scores being leveled, and Ashwin sealed the victory for India. The atmosphere erupted as Indian fans celebrated the thrilling win. Kohli, reflecting on his innings, described it as a blessed evening. He had scored 82 runs off 53 balls and was awarded the Player of the Match title.
