'Well, He’s Just A Normal Batsman'- Junaid Khan Recalls How He Got The Better Of Virat Kohli During The 2012-13 ODI Series
Published - 26 Jul 2020, 08:03 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:32 AM
Junaid Khan, Pakistan left-arm seamer, recently recalled the ODI series between India and Pakistan in December-January 2012-13 where he had the lid on all the Indian batsman including current captain Virat Kohli.
“The first ball I bowled to him was a wide but the next ball when I beat him, I thought ‘well, he’s just a normal batsman’. Virat jokingly told me ahead of the series that these are Indian pitches and that balls won’t move much here. I said ‘we’ll see, because I have plenty of momentum with me as well,” Junaid said on the Cricingif show on YouTube.
“I knew if I would perform well in India, I would need to take wickets”- Junaid Khan
Junaid was making a comeback to the ODI team at the time and the right-hander recalled that the motivation to cement his place in the side is what led to him performing the way he did. His performance proved as a cornerstone of Pakistan’s eventual series win [2-1].
“Before that tour, I was playing domestic cricket in Faisalabad. I had bowled around 35-40 overs in each match so I had developed momentum heading into the series. I was making a comeback in the ODIs and when we were heading to India, I knew in my mind that this is my only chance to stage a strong comeback into the team. Secondly, I knew if I would perform well in India, I would need to take wickets,” Junaid Khan said.
The left-arm fast bowler was also asked about the leading batsman among Virat Kohli, Babar Azam, Joe Root, Kane Williamson, Steve Smith, and Quinton de Kock of the current era and he has no qualms in picking the current Indian captain as the best of the lot.
“No doubt Kohli is the best batsman in all three formats. If you ask anyone, they’d say that guys like Babar Azam, Joe Root, Kane Williamson, Steve Smith are the best batsmen of the generation, but the best of the lot is Kohli because he’s performed outstandingly in all three formats,” Junaid Khan added.
