Virat Kohli is a legend, says Shadab Khan ahead of clash against India in Asia Cup
Aug 26, 2022
Dubai [UAE], August 26 : Ahead of the blockbuster clash against India on Sunday, Pakistan all-rounder Shadab Khan praised the star India batter Virat Kohli who has been out of form for a very long time and hoped that he gets back to form and scores ton but not against them.
Khan is playing a vital role for the current Pakistani team. He is one of the best Pakistan all-rounders in the shortest format of the game.
Men in Green will take on India on Sunday in their opening game of the T20I tournament.
Talking about former India captain Khan said that he hoped that Kohli scored a century in this tournament but not against them.
"Virat Kohli is a legend. His performances are still good but he has set such high standards that people feel that he is not performing. I hope he gets back to form and scores century but not against us," Shadab Khan said in the press conference.
Mohammad Wasim was ruled out of the Asia Cup due to a side strain that he picked up during the practice session on Wednesday. Wasim's injury further wounds Pakistan's pace attack, which will be without Shaheen Afridi who was ruled out of the tournament due to a knee injury that will keep him on the sidelines for four-six weeks.
Talking about how the Pakistan team suffered an injury blow ahead of Asia Cup, Shadab Khan said, "We will miss Shaheen and Mohammed Wasim. They are terrific players. But the beauty of cricket is that it is a team game, not an individual game. We will start afresh as this is a new match. What has happened is history now. We would like to perform the same way as we did. Definitely, we have a good team but it is not a champion team. We don't worry about the result we focus on the game."
The Asian Cricket Council's marquee event returns after a four-year interval with the 2022 edition of the Men's Asia Cup. Being played in the T20 format, across two venues. Dubai International Cricket Stadium will host nine games including the final, while Sharjah Cricket Stadium will host four games, starting August 27 through September 11.
Defending champions India are also the most successful team, having won the trophy seven times. While the last edition of the tournament was held in an ODI format, this edition will feature the T20 format.
Pakistan: Babar Azam (C), Shadab Khan (VC) Asif Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (WK), Naseem Shah, Hasan Ali, Shahnawaz Dahani and Usman Qadir.
