Kohli lauds Ashwin's brace call in the final over of Pakistan game

Indian batter Virat Kohli heaped praise on Ravi Ashwin for not losing his calm in the dying stages of the match against Pakistan on Sunday, October 23. In the T20 World Cup 2022 Super 12 match, India needed 16 runs to win in the last over with six wickets in hand. 

However, Mohammad Nawaz dismissed Hardik Pandya and Dinesh Karthik to bring the match back in Pakistan's favour. With two runs needed off the last ball to win, Ravi Ashwin left alone a delivery outside the leg-stump and a wide was given. 

In the last ball, Ashwin went downtown and helped India chase down 160 and secure a four-wicket victory at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground. 

On Ashwin's brief stay in the middle, Kohli lauded the batter for not losing his calm under extreme pressure. 

"When the required rate is 16 and it comes down to two off two balls, poeple may get relaxed and overexcited that the runs would be made. DK got run out after which I told Ashwin to play the ball over the cover region. But he used his brains to perfection. He came inside the line and got us a wide. Then it was all about finding the gap to win," Kohli was quoted as saying on Star Sports. 

Kohli also played a massive part in India's win as he got the Player of the Match award for scoring 82 runs off 53 balls with the help of six fours and four sixes. 

In the last three overs with India needing 48 runs to win, Kohli hit Haris Rauf for back-to-back sixes in the penultimate over. He also stitched together a crucial 113-run stand for the fifth wicket with Hardik Pandya, who scored 40 runs off 37 balls. 

India's next Super 12 match is against the Netherlands on October 27 at the iconic Sydney Cricket Ground.