Asia Cup 2018: The best moments in the history of Asia Cup

3. The best of Virat Kohli:

India needed to defeat Pakistan in their final league match of the 2012 Asia Cup after losing to Bangladesh. A bonus point win will put India on the safe side but in case of Sri Lanka defeating Bangladesh in the following game, India’s line will be cleared even if they don’t defeat Pakistan by a bonus point. Pakistan came up one of the outrageous batting efforts on winning the toss. The opening pair of Mohammad Hafeez (105) and Nasir Jamshed (112) put on a record 224-run stand in only 35.5 overs.

Younis Khan scored a 34-ball 52 to push Pakistan’s total to 329/6. Hafeez, opening the bowling, dismissed Gautam Gambhir for a 2nd-ball duck. The experience of Sachin Tendulkar was joined by Virat Kohli as the pair kept India’s run-rate ahead of the required rate. The pair put on 133 in 19.1 overs only as Tendulkar scored 52 in only 48 what turned out to be his last ODI innings. Kohli, who got to his fifty in 52 balls, kept the chase moving along with Rohit Sharma.

The youngsters ensured Pakistan didn’t have any chance to make a return. Kohli was really special for India on that night as he kept finding the boundary hear and then and brought down the target with singles and doubles. Kohli’s second fifty came off 45 balls and 34 balls later, he brought up his maiden 150. The pair added 172 for the 3rd wicket before both got out in space on nine balls. Kohli made a record 183 in only 148 balls with 22 fours and a six while Rohit anchored the chase with 83-ball 68.

India needed only 12 runs from 17 balls when Kohli got out missing a realistic chance of scoring an ODI double ton. Suresh Raina and MS Dhoni needed only four more deliveries to saw the chase through. As a result, India kept themselves alive in the competition with a 6-wicket win but Bangladesh defeating Sri Lanka meant they qualify to final with Pakistan ahead of India due to head to head advantage.