India’s ever dependable batting genius Virat Kohli is likely to lead India in regular skipper MS Dhoni’s absence for the first game against Bangladesh in the T20 Asia Cup. Dhoni hurt his back in a practice session, and might well be rested for the first game. Kohli addressed the media prior to India’s first game and spoke on a variety of issues. The world’s number one T20I batsman praised Pakistani pacer Mohammad Aamir in his interaction.
When Kohli was quizzed about Aamir, who was banned for five years for his role in the infamous 2010 spot-fixing scandal in England, Kohli admitted that Aamir did the right thing by accepting his mistake. “Good that he realized his mistake. Saw him bowling in NZ recently and was bowling well. I have always felt had he not committed that mistake 5 years back, he would have been the top 2-3 bowlers in the world right now. He can bowl at speed and he can swing the ball both ways.He is exciting to watch. I would like to wish him all the luck for Asia cup.”
The batting sensation was also asked about his views on the much loved Indo-Pak cricket rivalry to which Kohli replied, “When I play against Pak, I just feel like I’m playing every other opponent. I don’t take extra pressure just coz it’s Pak. You (fans and media) people create extra hype of Indo-Pak clash. On the field, it’s just a normal match for both the teams. Pak have a great set of skillful players. Would be a competitive match.”