Everybody Knows If You Get Virat Kohli, India Is 50% Out Of The Game: Mohammad Amir

Pakistan fast-bowler Mohammad Amir has once again lavished praise on India skipper Virat Kohli, calling him the best chaser in the game but in doing so the left-arm pacer took a subtle dig at the Indian team. The Pakistan pace spearhead said that India are 50 percent out of the contest when the opposition manages to get rid of Kohli.

“Everybody knows if you get Kohli, India is 50% out of the game. Until he is at the crease, India’s chances of winning are 70-80%. If you look at his chasing ratio, he is at the top of the world. He chases well, he performs well under pressure,” the left-arm pacer told ESPNcricinfo.

Amir’s observation was perhaps prompted from India’s dismal performance in the final of the Champions Trophy where Kohli had failed to deliver and Pakistan had thrashed widely touted favourites India by a whopping margin of 180 runs.

The Men in Green, led by Fakhar Zaman‘s maiden ODI century, set up a daunting 339-run target with a loss of four wickets but the in-form batsmen of India came a cropper during the all-important match and fell like a pack of cards against a disciplined bowling attack.

Mohammad Amir’s fiery first spell had India reeling at 33 for three with their holy trinity of Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli back in the hut. India never recovered from those early setbacks and was eventually out for just 158 runs in the 31st over.

Meanwhile, time and again Kohli has also expressed his admiration for Amir. During a recent chat show with Bollywood actor Aamir Khan, the Indian batting star had described Amir as the toughest bowler he has faced in international cricket.

“In recent times, Mohammad Amir of Pakistan…he is in the top two or three bowlers in the world and one of the toughest bowlers I have played in my career. You have to be on your A game when you’re facing him or he will strike. Outstanding! Very good bowler!” Kohli had said.

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