Pakistan Legend Wants Virat Kohli To Retire From T20Is
Shoaib Akhtar said he wants Virat Kohli to retire from T20I because he doesn't want that Kohli puts his entire energy into T20I cricket.
Pakistan’s pace legend Shoaib Akhtar showered praise on India’s batting maestro Virat Kohli for his unbeaten knock of 82 against Pakistan in the T20 World Cup clash between the archrivals on October 23.
Akhtar, who is one of the most recognized cricketers in world cricket always supported Virat Kohli during his lean patch and backed him to roar back again on the field. Speaking on his recent heroics against Pakistan, here’s what the legendary pacer said on his YouTube channel:
“According to me, he played the greatest innings of his life against Pakistan. He played like this because he had the self-belief that he would do it.”
The bowling veteran further said that the game against arch-rivals Pakistan was the perfect stage for ‘King Kohli’ to announce his comeback and he wonderfully did that:
“He was down and out for 3 years, he didn’t score runs, he was stripped of his captaincy and a lot of people said a lot of things to him. People even dragged his family into it but he kept training and put in the graft and just a day before Diwali, he played a firecracker on an innings.
“He decided that this place and this stage is perfect for his comeback. The king is back and he is back with a bang and I am really happy for him. He is a great cricketer.”
Shoaib Akhtar Wants Virat Kohli To Retire From T20Is
The Pakistan great, however then came up with a controversial take on India’s batting maverick as he urged the former India captain to consider taking retirement from the shortest format to prolong his career in two other formats, especially ODIs.
Akhtar said Kohli could have scored three centuries in ODIs with half of the effort that he put into his unbeaten 82-run-knock against Pakistan at Melbourne Cricket Ground on October 23:
“I want him [Virat Kohli] to retire from T20I because I don’t want him to put his entire energy into T20I cricket. With similar commitment like today, he could have scored three centuries in ODIs.”
