"Virat Kohli is a man with a sense of occasion" - Ian Bishop on World Cup matches against Pakistan

Former West Indies fast bowler Ian Bishop said that Virat Kohli is a man with a sense of occasion with the reference to India vs Pakistan matches in the ICC competitions.

Kohli scored a magnificent unbeaten 82 against Pakistan to inspire India to a four-wicket win in a nerve-racking 160-run chase at the MCG in the 2022 T20 World Cup.

In an interaction with RevSportz over Kohli's chances to replicate his MCG heroics against Pakistan in the 2023 World Cup, Bishop said:

"I hope so because he was one of the guys that stood up in that T20 World Cup battle in 2022. He is a man with a sense of occasion, a master of the white ball and particularly the 50-over format. I think that he will be very aware of the magnitude as always of that type of contest and the history around it."

Kohli has amassed 536 runs against Pakistan in 13 innings at an average of 48.72. He has one century and one half-century in three outings against their Asian rivals in the World Cup.

Shaheen Afridi has been a consistent performer for Pakistan versus India in the last two T20 World Cup editions. The left-arm seamer's figures of 3/31 were instrumental to register Pakistan's maiden victory against India in the 2021 T20 World Cup.

"Shaheen Afridi is a world-class performer, an exciting performer. I look forward to seeing Shaheen Afridi match up against India," Bishop stated.

Bishop also hoped for Jasprit Bumrah's return to the Indian side in the marquee event. Emphasising the importance of a genuine pace bowler's contribution to a team's success in multi-nation events, the 55-year-old said:

"I look back for the return of Jasprit Bumrah against any other person in the world. I always say very few teams are going to win any global titles without a fast bowling repertoire of the highest standards."

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"I think it's a fantastic rivalry" - Ian Bishop on India-Pakistan rivalry

India and Pakistan are set to extend one of the best cricket rivalries this year as they lock horns in not one but two prestigious events - the Asia Cup and the World Cup.

Both teams can meet each other as many as five times this year if they advance to the next round of both continental and global events respectively. Providing an external point of view on the rivalry, Bishop said:

"I think it's a fantastic rivalry. If we go back to one of the meetings at the T20 World Cup in Australia last year…. You couldn't have written a better script at the MCG with a full house and it going down to the last ball."

The cricketer-turned-commentator added:

"It just shows the general interest not only within the two nations but beyond the two nations in that sort of battle. It's something whereas I hope that we will see more of it. And perhaps the absence of it is that novelty aspect is something that has built the steam around it, but it's always fascinating to watch."

India and Pakistan will face each other on September 2 in the Group A match of the Asia Cup 2023 at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium.