Former Pakistan spinner Danish Kaneria has put his weight behind Virat Kohli to get back into form in the upcoming Asia Cup. Kohli has been under the scanner for his poor form and it will be imperative for India that he gets back at his best.
On the other hand, the former leg-spinner feels it will be important for Pakistan to not let Virat Kohli get back into form. Kohli had scored a fine knock of 57 runs off 49 balls in the 2021 T20I World Cup against Pakistan but his efforts had gone in vain.
In fact, Kohli had only played in the series against England after the IPL and he has been rested for the remainder of the series.
Kaneria said while talking on his YouTube Channel, “There will be fear in the minds of Pakistani players due to the talk around Virat Kohli’s form. They are aware that he can make a strong comeback. It will be important for Pakistan not to let him come back into form. If he regains his form, he will be unstoppable.”
He continued: “The Asia Cup is going to be very important for Virat Kohli. He needs to score runs in this tournament. He can’t afford to fail as there are a lot of players waiting for their turn and you cannot keep them out of the side for long. I feel that he will be back with a bang in this Asia Cup. The time has come to silence the critics.”
Meanwhile, there is always high pressure when India takes on Pakistan because of the given history. Kaneria feels such matches can make or break a player’s career.
“There is tremendous pressure during India vs Pakistan games. Our coaches used to tell us that you just have to take it like any other match. But these games can make or break a player’s career. There is a lot of hype around these matches as India and Pakistan don’t play against each other that often.”
On the other hand, Shaheen Shah Afridi has been ruled out with a knee injury while Jasprit Bumrah will miss the tournament due to a back injury.
India and Pakistan will face each other on 28th August at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai.
