Asia Cup 2022: Virat Kohli and his unique Pakistan connection

IND vs PAK: The most awaited day of the year is almost here. The day that cricket fans all over the globe have been waiting for so eagerly. As the sun sets on the Dubai International Stadium today, India and Pakistan will lock horns against each other and will go all guns blazing to outplay each other. Amidst all the buzz and energy surrounding this marquee clash, the spotlight will firmly remain on former India skipper Virat Kohli. The icon of Indian cricket who has dominated world cricket for a decade now finds himself on the other end of the spectrum. The Royal Challengers Bangalore stalwart hasn't been in the pink of his batting health and at the moment is struggling. Kohli has been facing loads of flak lately for picking and choosing series according to his own will. He was last seen in action in July when India toured England for a one-off Test match, 3 ODIs, and 3 T20Is. The Indian batter failed miserably and failed to score a total of 100 runs on the entire tour.

The former cricketer has now returned to the Indian blues and is raring to go big in the Asia Cup which will be a dress rehearsal for the T20I World Cup, scheduled to be played in Australia later this year. India clashed with Pakistan last year at the same venue at the T20I World Cup, 2021, and lost the match by 10 wickets which dampened their spirits and derailed their campaign. Kohli stepped down as India's T20I team after the much-forgettable tournament. As far as the clash against Pakistan goes, Virat Kohli has a longstanding history with the Pakistan team, a history that has impacted his career, both in positive and negative ways.

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Never played a Test against Pakistan

The prowess that Virat Kohli as a batsman has in all three formats is certainly not a matter worthy of debate. When Test cricket was taking the backseat, Virat Kohli-led team India emerged as the best touring team in world cricket and India's euphoric rise in the red ball game after the exit of MS Dhoni did loads of good for the format. Kohli who has amassed over 27 tons in Test cricket has never played a Test match against arch-rivals Pakistan, neither as a captain nor as a player. Virat made his international debut in the year 2008 and by that time India's political difference with Pakistan owing to the 26/11 attacks grew manifolds. India to date hasn't played a bilateral series against the boys in green

First Indian captain to lose a World Cup match to Pakistan in any format

Team India always has boasted about one fact, their upper hand over Pakistan in the ICC World Cups. India has faced Pakistan 13 times in World Cup matches (6 T20Is and 7 ODIs). India has won 11 games out of them (7 ODIs and 4 T20Is). Only one match finished with no result, the group match of the T20I World Cup which later India won courtesy of bowl-outs. The streak was expected to be maintained in the 2021 T20I World Cup clash, but Babar Azam and co. outplayed India in every department and won the match by 10 wickets which made Kohli the first captain to lose against Pakistan in ICC World Cups.

Highest ODI score against Pakistan in Asia Cup

India took on Pakistan in the 5th match of the 2012 Asia Cup. Team Pakistan belted Indian bowlers all around the park and asked the men in blue to chase a mammoth total of 330 down against the likes of Wahab Riaz, Shahid Afridi, Saeed Ajmal, Aizaz Cheema, Umar Gul, and Mohammad Hafeez. A 22-year-old who walked in after no. 3 after the dismissal of Gautam Gambhir on zero took on the Pakistan bowling. Riding high on his success at Hobart against Lasith Malinga, Virat played a feisty inning of 183 and took the crowd at Shere Bangla National Stadium, Dhaka aback. This till date remains Virat's highest score to date.

First ICC event assignment against Pakistan

By the year 2017, Kohli was a different beast altogether and had the impact of traumatizing the opposition even before he took guard. Kohli had a splendid 2016, actually the word splendid also doesn't do justice to the kind of year Virat had. MS Dhoni stepped down from his duties as the white ball captain and Virat Kohli took on the reins of the Indian cricket team for the first time in a series against New Zealand. But Virat's first major assignment came in the ICC Champions Trophy, 2017 where India was the defending champions. Virat for the first time led India in a match against Pakistan.