Pakistan fast bowler Mohammed Amir shut down all criticism towards Indian batting stalwart Virat Kohli during a segment of the ‘Haarna mana hai’ show on Pakistan T.V. Kohli has been in scintilating form throughout the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 as he scored 88 against Sri Lanka in India 302-run win over Sri Lanka.
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Discussing this performance on the show, Amir with fellow Pakistani cricketers Abdul Razzaq and Imad Wasim received a question about Kohli playing "selfishly" and looking to score centuries in every game, prioritising it over a win. But defending Kohli, Wasim stated that the former Indian captain has been near perfect while chasing and it is wrong of anyone to call him selfish.
Imad Wasim said, “Everything is calculated when Virat Kohli plays; he knows who is around him. During run chases, he is 10/10; he knows when to attack; he knows when he has to hit it for a six; he is a special player; and in this era, there is no better player than him. It is wrong to talk of him in this way.”
Supporting Wasim’s claim, Mohammad Amir talked about how one should analyse Kohli’s intent and cited the Sri Lanka game where the Indian team number three had to play certain situation. Amir also stated that comparing Virat Kohli with anyone is stupid. He opined, “I don't know why people keep comparing Virat Kohli; any comparison is stupid. Secondly, you have to look at the player’s intent. He was playing ball-to-ball (against Sri Lanka), and he was trying.”
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Further in the discussion, Abdul Razzaq agreed with Amir and Wasim and stressed how it is important to look at the other batter playing alongside Kohli. Razzaq also talked about how Kohli doesn’t need regular boundaries as he comfortably maintains an average of 6.5 without hitting boundaries. Razzaq, “It is important to note how the non-striker is playing. It is not right to say, but if Imam-ul-Haq was playing alongside Virat Kohli, then it would have caused problems.”