New Delhi:
Ahead of the high-octane ICC Cricket World Cup clash between India and Pakistan on Sunday at Emirates Old Trafford in Manchester, Virat Kohli has revealed his most tense moment of the match between the arch-rivals. Speaking to reporters during the pre-match presser, the Indian skipper recalled his first match experience against Pakistan during the Champions Trophy 2009, when he was called in as injured Yuvraj Singh’s replacement.
"Tense was Champions Trophy 2009, where Yuvi fractured a finger, and I was literally flown in and in two days time I was playing against Pakistan at Centurion. I hadn't experienced anything like that before, and I played a very bad shot, and I couldn't sleep until 6:00 in the morning. I was looking at the ceiling and thinking, that's it, I've flown in, and now I'm finished. So that was the most tense moment I've experienced," Kohli said.
However, it has been a decade since Kohli’s first game against Pakistan and the Indian skipper has matured a lot in this time. When asked about the hype around the game between India and Pakistan, Kohli, in a rather philosophical tone, said that the match will not last for a lifetime even if they do well or not.
"I think the best way to approach something like this, if one focuses too much on what's going on the outside, it's to understand that the game starts tomorrow at a certain time and it finishes at a certain time, so it's not going to last a lifetime for you, whether you do well or you don't," Kohli said.
India will look to avenge 2017 Champions Trophy final's defeat when they play Pakistan in their fourth match of ICC Cricket World Cup 2019. With two wins and a washout game, India is currently the team to beat in the tournament while Pakistan, having trounced the hosts Englan, will look to forget their last two matches' performance when they face men in blue in the tournament's biggest encounter.
