In one of the most thrilling run chases in history, India beat Pakistan by 4 wickets in a T20 World Cup 2022 Super 12 match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday, October 23.

Owing to an extended dry spell, Virat Kohli’s ability to win games for India had come under scrutiny, but with his knock, he demonstrated that he is still one of cricket’s best chasers, something his captain Rohit Sharma admitted during the thrilling encounter.

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The pressure was on Virat Kohli to lead India to victory with 16 needed off the final over and Hardik Pandya was dismissed off the first ball of the over. The most recent adjustment to the game’s rules caused India trouble since, despite the batters crossing over, Kohli was no longer on strike following Hardik’s departure.

As of October 1, 2022, even if the batters crossed over during the catch, the arriving batter would still be given the first strike. Due to this modification, Kohli was forced to watch the action from the non-striker’s end after hitting two sixes to cap the penultimate over against Pakistan’s in-form death bowler, Haris Rauf.

The following ball, Dinesh Karthik singled off a high full toss, and Kohli instantly seized control, driving one patiently to long-on before allowing his athleticism to take over with a couple of fast runs.

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Nawaz used the high full-toss, high-pace tactic to catch the batter off guard. The pressure was on Nawaz to keep Kohli in check when there were no more pacers left to bowl. Instead, a cool-headed Kohli, who was positively pumped by the frenzied fans in the stadium, eviscerated the ball over for a maximum.

As a result of the subsequent no-ball decision, which further enraged Pakistan, Kohli had to face a free-hit ball with six runs needed off of three balls.

The succeeding ball went wide, guaranteeing a gratis hit. The next ball would have been a wild slog, but Kohli’s quick thinking allowed India to score three runs on byes.

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Pakistan requested a dead ball and rushed to the on-field umpires to inquire about the running after Kohli’s failed heave caused the bails to be disturbed. However, because the delivery in this instance was a free hit, the ball wasn’t dead when it struck the stumps.

The three runs scored off the ball ultimately turned out to be vital because Dinesh Karthik was out on the following ball and the game was down to the very last pitch.

Unbeaten on 82 off 53 balls, Kohli’s knock was filled with photo-worthy moments, but it was probably his astute awareness under pressure that finally made the difference in a classic thriller.