India vs Pakistan: Former players in awe of Virat Kohli’s T20 World Cup masterclass | Cricket News

Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram suggested Virat Kohli might be from another planet after the Indian batsman’s superb half-century led them to a four-wicket win over arch-rivals Pakistan at the Twenty20 World Cup.
Man of the match Kohli smashed an unbeaten 82 off 53 balls as India chased down 160 on a packed. Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday. He hit four sixes, including back-to-back hits over the ropes in the penultimate over to bring India back into the game.

“Strangers do walk among us, he is one of the best I have seen among the modern greats,” Akram said on Pakistani television channel A Sports.
“Not just now, he’s scored for the last 15 years and he has the best average while racing.”
Kohli’s sublime knock comes amid a return to form after he ended a three-year international century drought at the Asia Cup last month, smashing an unbeaten 122 against Afghanistan in the shortest format of the game .
India’s Sachin Tendulkar said it must have been the best innings of Kohli’s career.
“Was a pleasure watching you play, the six off the back foot in the 19th over against (Haris) Rauf over long on was spectacular. Keep it up,” he tweeted.

Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi was among those who praised Kohli on social media, while former Pakistan players also joined in.

“What a cricket match we just saw and this guy Virat Kohli is an absolute beast,” tweeted Pakistan batsman Shoaib Malik.

“You can’t compare his class to any other player in the world in white-ball cricket. He can anchor, he can spin, he can hit sixes and he knows how to finish the game.”
With India celebrating the festival of Diwali, The Times of India newspaper said Kohli was “back as king” to light up the World Cup with a “cracker of an innings”.
India take on the Netherlands in their second Group 2 match on Thursday.