‘My plan and execution was fine but that shot was all class’ - Haris Rauf walks through Virat Kohli's penultimate over heroics

Virat Kohli produced an epic knock in the recent T20 World Cup against Pakistan when he single-handedly took the Indian side over the line. During the run-chase of 160, Pakistan’s Haris Rauf bowled four terrific deliveries in the 19th over, but Kohli still managed to hit two unbelievable sixes off the last two deliveries to keep his side in the hunt for a win.  

Those two shots were difficult to pull off as he hit the Pakistan quick straight past his head over long-on for a six and managed to flick the second six off a slower delivery over fine leg. The commentators were in awe after the two shots and it brought down the equation to 16 needed off the last over. Speaking of the two sixes, Rauf heaped praised on Kohli and narrated how it all unfolded.

I don’t think any other player can hit shots like those off my bowling: Haris Rauf 

Rauf noted the range of shots Kohli possesses and mentioned that only the 34-year old could have hit sixes like those off his bowling. He further mentioned that his plan was to leave more than 20 runs for the final over. 

“The way he played in the World Cup, that is his class, we all know the types of shots he plays. And the way he hit those sixes, I don’t think any other player can hit shots like those off my bowling. If Dinesh Karthik or Hardik Pandya would’ve hit those sixes, I would’ve been hurting but those came off Kohli’s bat and he is a different class altogether," Rauf told Cricwick. 

“Look, India required 31 off the last 12 balls. I had given away only three runs off four deliveries. I knew Nawaz was bowling the last over, he is a spinner and I had tried to leave at least four big boundaries for him and leave at least more than 20 runs." 

Haris Rauf explained the way he deceived Kohli on the first four deliveries and added that it was Kohli’s class that won rather than his execution going wrong in the battle. 

“And since 28 were required off eight balls, I had bowled three slower balls and he was deceived. I had only bowled one quick ball out of four," he added. 

“The idea was to bowl a slower one on that back-of-a-length zone since the boundary was larger on the square side. I had no idea that he can hit me down the ground off that length. So when he hit that shot off me, that’s his class. My plan and execution was fine but that shot was all class."