February 5, 2025: Ahead of the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025, Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya reflected on Virat Kohli’s unforgettable performance in the 2022 T20 World Cup against Pakistan. In a thrilling match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Kohli’s two consecutive sixes off Haris Rauf in the 19th over became a defining moment that turned the game in India’s favor.
Kohli’s remarkable knock of 82* from 53 balls, including those two game-changing sixes, was a testament to his composure under pressure. Pandya, in an interview with ICC, shared the emotions that went into that moment. He praised Kohli’s ability to break the opponent’s confidence with those two massive hits.
“Pure emotion and how excited we were. The shot he played was kind of breaking the opponent’s back because it sent a statement to the bowler, who had to bowl in front of thousands of people. When you stay in the fight, you know that things can turn around. That game will always be iconic,” Hardik said.
Pandya also opened up about his personal experience at the Melbourne clash, which was one of the most electric atmospheres he had ever witnessed. “The energy was just amazing, and though I’ve played many games, it was overwhelming. India-Pakistan rivalry is something special,” he added.
As the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 approaches, Hardik is excited for the upcoming tournament, where India will face their biggest rivals, Pakistan, on February 23. India’s campaign begins with a match against Bangladesh on February 20.
India Squad for ICC Champions Trophy 2025:
- Rohit Sharma (C)
- Shubman Gill (VC)
- Virat Kohli
- Shreyas Iyer
- KL Rahul (WK)
- Hardik Pandya
- Axar Patel
- Washington Sundar
- Kuldeep Yadav
- Jasprit Bumrah
- Mohammed Shami
- Arshdeep Singh
- Yashasvi Jaiswal
- Rishabh Pant
- Ravindra Jadeja