IND vs PAK 2022: "He is not called King Kohli for nothing" - Hardik Pandya lauds Virat Kohli's match-winning knock

Hardik Pandya has said that Virat Kohli's match-winning knock in India's T20 World Cup 2022 clash against Pakistan in Melbourne on Sunday, October 23, demonstrates why he has the sobriquet 'King Kohli'.

Kohli smashed an unbeaten 82 off 53 deliveries, with the help of six fours and four sixes. His knock helped the Men in Blue chase down a 160-run target off the very last ball to begin their campaign on a winning note.

During a discussion on Star Sports, Pandya was asked how he would rate Virat Kohli's knock. He responded:

"This is one of the best innings I have seen from Virat because of the situation. He has batted extremely well and finished nicely many times, but today the initial struggle that was there, it was getting difficult. The character he shows is his greatness and he is not called King Kohli for nothing."

Pandya joined Kohli in the middle when India were in dire straits at 31/4 in the seventh over. The duo strung together a 113-run partnership before the latter finished the job in the company of Ravichandran Ashwin when the seam-bowling all-rounder was dismissed on the first ball of the final over.

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"Those two sixes were the best sixes of my life" - Hardik Pandya on Virat Kohli's sixes against Haris Rauf

Virat Kohli clubbed sixes on the last two deliveries of the penultimate over bowled by Haris Rauf.

Pandya was also asked about his conversations with Virat Kohli in the middle. He replied:

"I and Virat were discussing only one thing that they are bowling well but, no matter what, we will take it to the end and see what happens. I think those two sixes (Kohli's against Haris Rauf) were the best sixes of my life."

Pandya pointed out that the intentions were to take the game deep. He explained:

"We were only talking about one thing that let's build a partnership and see where we can take it because four wickets had already fallen, so if we had taken a risk at that time and it had not worked out, we didn't have a chance at all in this match."

Pandya added that he had decided to attack Mohammad Nawaz when the Pakistan left-arm spinner came to bowl his third over. He said:

"So it was only that we will take risks whatever we can. Nawaz's over came at the right time when I asked King Kohli to play long and that I will take the risks."

Pandya and Kohli smashed Nawaz for 20 runs in the 12th over of the Indian innings. The assault gave the required impetus to the chase and forced Babar Azam to take Nawaz out of the attack and hold him back until the final over of the Indian innings.