Virat Kohli’s MCG knock better than 2016 Mohali innings: Gautam Gambhir

Former India opener Gautam Gambhir feels that Virat Kohli’s unbeaten 82-run knock against Pakistan in T20 World Cup 2022 is better than his 2016 Mohali innings against Australia.

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With India reeling at 31/4 in the 160-run chase against their arch-rivals, Kohli produced a batting masterclass in front of more than 90,000 fans at the Melbourne Cricket Ground to help Men in Blue win the high-octane T20 World Cup 2022 opener by four wickets.

In 2016, Kohli scored 82 not out of 51 balls to help India reach the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup. The Mohali innings was largely considered his best innings before the Sunday encounter against Pakistan.

“Finishing it off, probably literally getting more than 50% of the run. So it has to be up there probably better than the Mohali innings because if you see the magnitude, the conditions, the pressure, this was much more,” Gautam Gambhir told Star Sports.

Also Read: Virat Kohli, a blessing for cricket, captain and coach

Even Kohli had said after the match on Sunday that his MCG innings against Pakistan was the best innings of his career given the magnitude of the match.

“Till today Mohali was my best innings against Australia. I scored 82 off 52 (51) there and I scored 82 off 53 today so both were similar. But today I will count this one higher because of the magnitude of the game,” Kohli had said.

Watch: Rohit’s celebration with Kohli after thrilling win over Pakistan

The highlight of Kohli’s innings was his shot down the ground against pacer Haris Rauf that had the whole internet going crazy.

Gambhir rated the shot as the “shot of the tournament” given the timing of the shot and the pressure under which Kohli played it.

“It was probably the shot of the tournament. That shot under pressure. It was not that he just played the shot. You knew that if he had not hit that ball out of the ground, India would have been under serious pressure because 28 off 8, you are looking at a defeat. Playing that shot under pressure against Haris Rauf. It’s just the quality of that shot. You can’t explain that shot,” Gambhir added.

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