Shoaib Akhtar reveals how he would have tried to get Virat Kohli out

Shoaib Akhtar, the former Pakistan fast bowler, tried to decipher a few methods, which he would have employed in order to get Virat Kohli out. The Indian skipper has been an enigma for the bowlers around the world and has flourished across all three formats of the sport. At the age of 31, the Delhi-born has over 21,00 runs for Team India and also a number of records at the highest level.

Virat has also shone as the skipper at the international circuit. Akhtar, who was known for his vicious yorkers and bouncers, said that he would try to induce a false drive off Virat to pin him. As Plan B, Akhtar said that he would have hurled 150 kph thunderbolts for dismissing Virat.

“If I was bowling, I would go wider of the crease and pitch the ball up [to Kohli] and shape it away from him in order to make him drive. If that does not work, I will bowl him at 150 [kph] and he will get out,” Akhtar was quoted as saying in a video on Instagram Live.

Shoaib Akhtar praises Tendulkar

Akhtar also had words of praises for Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar. The Rawalpindi Express called him the greatest all-time batter. He also remembers how many times he managed to dismiss the owner 100 international centuries.

In the 2003 World Cup, Akhtar and Tendulkar came face to face at the SuperSport Park in Centurion. During that game, Sachin smashed Shoaib for a six over the point region. In the end, it was Shoaib’s bumper that accounted for Tendulkar’s dismissal on 98.

“I had a good time bowling to Sachin Tendulkar. He is one of the greatest batsmen of all-time but I dismissed him 12-13 times as well. Although, Indians only remember that one six which he hit me in Centurion [during the 2003 ICC World Cup] as it makes them really happy,” he added.

“If I had known that one six makes 1.3 billion people happy, then I would have let him hit me for a six every day,” he added, talking about his camaraderie with Sachin.

Shoaib played 46 Tests, 163 ODIs and 15 T20Is in which he picked up 178, 247 and 19 wickets respectively.