Mohammad Amir buoyed by Virat Kohli's praise

Pakistani paceman Mohammad Amir is highly pleased with the praise he received from Virat Kohli after his sensational opening spell against India in the Asia Cup.

The left-arm fast bowler's dream spell saw him concede just 18 runs and pick up 3 wickets, including those of Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane in his very first over. However, Virat Kohli managed to keep Amir at bay with a display of excellent technique and high levels of composure.

At the post-match presentation ceremony, Kohli was full of praise for Mohammad Amir and congratulated him on his superb performance. He also acknowledged the fact that the Pakistani is a world-class bowler and he was fortunate to play such an amazing spell.

In an interview with the Mumbai Mirror, Amir spoke about how much the ace Indian batsman's encouragement meant to him. He said, "Kohli's praise made my day. It was generous of him what he said for me."

"It's the sort of encouragement that you need and when it comes from a superstar like Virat, it means a lot. On the other hand, it's a big challenge for me as well because it adds to my responsibility to prove that I am worth that praise. Even before the match, he used some good words for me. It was very kind of him,", Amir added.

The pacer, who is looking to redeem himself after a 5-year spot-fixing ban, was happy to dismiss a big player like Rohit Sharma. He stated, "I watched him bat in Australia where he scored a lot of runs so it was important to get him early. I thought I had him first ball but it was given not out. The next delivery was perfectly pitched and I got him. Shahid Bhai (Afridi) came to me and said that it is a big wicket. Then I had (Ajinkiya) Rahane and it doubled our joy."

Amir also had his own reasons to appreciate Virat Kohli as the latter hit two boundaries off him and took the pressure off. "That proved that he is a world class player. He read the situation well and scored runs gradually and didn't panic at all. Virat is a very good player and his words will help me do better and better. It was great to bowl at him and he once again proved that he is a world class player; ordinary player would have succumbed to that pressure but not Virat," he was quoted saying.

Mohammad Amir did, however, lament the fact that the bowlers should have had some more runs to defend. He quipped, "It was unfortunate that we didn't have too many runs to play for. Had we got 110, it would have been our match but I am very happy that my performance helped us avoid a one-sided defeat. In fact, we gave a scare to India."