Mohammad Amir reveals mind games he played with Virat Kohli in Champions Trophy 2017 Final

Mohammad Amir has revealed how he played mind games with India’s Virat Kohli before getting his prized wicket in last year’s ICC Champions Trophy final. Pakistan handed defending champions India a thrashing in the final, defeating them by 180 runs to clinch their maiden title.

Earlier in the tournament, the two teams had met in another one-sided affair, with India on the winning side on that occasion. Sarfraz Ahmed‘s men were not favourites coming into the final, but they were clinical when it mattered the most. Mohammad Amir played a pivotal role in Pakistan’s victory by getting rid of the Indian skipper early in the chase.

Amir ended the final with stunning figures of 3/16, having bagged the key wickets of Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan as well as Virat Kohli to pave the way for a huge Pakistan win. The left-arm pacer has finally revealed his plan that he used to dismiss the Indian captain and how he went about playing mind games with Kohli during his brief stay at the crease.

“When Virat Kohli came in (to bat), I had bowled an inswing delivery and he was beaten. Rohit Sharma was also dismissed off an inswinging delivery. About Kohli, the thing is that early on when he is not set, he gets beaten by out-swinging deliveries and he struggles if you get him out of good areas. So I knew that I had bowled an inswing delivery to him and I did not have to bowl the same again,” Amir said, speaking on a show called Voice of Cricket.

Amir’s plan almost worked to perfection when he found Kohli’s edge in the third over, but Azhar Ali spilled a simple catch in the slips. However, there was no damage done as on the very next delivery, a leading edge from Virat’s bat went straight into the hands of Shadab Khan who was fielding at point.

If you give Kohli a chance, it’s gone: Amir

“He was dropped earlier and when I was going for the run-up after that I was thinking that I hope the Fakhar Zaman case does not happen with us because a batsman like Kohli, if you give him a chance then it’s gone. I was praying to God for his wicket and was thinking he should not take the match away from us because if he would have played till the end, he would have won India the match,” Amir said.

The dismissal gave rise to one of world cricket’s most interesting battles – Mohammad Amir, making a comeback after his ban, was growing from strength to strength, while Virat Kohli was dominating with the bat all round the globe. However, since India and Pakistan don’t play each other in bilateral series, there are very few occasions when fans get to witness the two take each other on.

“If you see his body language also, he was like Amir will bowl to me an inswinging delivery and so I had it in mind, that I have to bowl to him in the same area but an outswing. The next ball he was completely on the onside thinking I will bowl an inswing and he got out,” he concluded.

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