Exclusive: I don't have words to describe Kohli's two sixes against Rauf, says Vengsarkar

For someone who was officially ranked the world’s number one batsman for a 21-month period in the 1980s, Dilip Vengsarkar knows a thing or two about what separates a great player from a good player.

The great players, Vengsarkar says, get into a different zone even as their teams face the most uphill battle.

Like Virat Kohli had gloriously done during his magical 82 not out off 53 balls after India were reduced to 31 for four chasing 160 against a formidable Pakistani bowling attack at the ICC T20 World Cup in Melbourne on Sunday.

Vengsarkar, who had fast-tracked a young Kohli into the Indian team in 2008 during his stint as the chairman of the Indian selection committee, remained the Indian batting superstar’s most ardent backer even as pundits began asking questions about his place in the team during his prolonged lean phase with the bat.

The former Indian captain is now delighted to see Kohli play one of the most astonishing knocks in cricket.

“It feels great to see him perform like that yesterday. I always had faith in his ability,” Vengsarkar told the Khaleej Times on Monday.

Despite Kohli and Hardik Pandya’s fightback with a brilliant fifth-wicket partnership, Pakistan were still in control even in the back end of India’s chase.

Babar Azam’s team looked set for a memorable win after Haris Rauf, arguably the best death overs bowler in recent times, had given away only three runs in the first four balls of the penultimate over.

With India needing 28 runs off eight balls, it seemed Rauf had done the job for Pakistan only for Kohli to turn the match on its head with two stunning back-to-back sixes off the fiery Pakistan pacer.

Vengsarkar says great players always find a way to seize the big moments.

“The big matches and the big occasions bring the best out of Virat. That’s the hallmark of all great players. All the great players the game has seen over the years, they get themselves in a different zone mentally in crunch moments,” he said.

“That’s what I saw in Virat yesterday in the last three-four overs when he was absolutely different Virat. He was in a different zone. The only object he saw was an Indian victory, he knew he had to win the match. It was very important for him and it brought out the best in him.”

The legendary Indian batsman was lost for words when asked to describe the ease with which Kohli hit Rauf for two straight sixes – the first one with a backfoot punch over the long-on boundary and the second one over the fine leg boundary with a nonchalant flick of the wrist.

“I don’t have words to describe those shots that Virat executed. Only the world’s best batsman can do it, especially in such a do-or-die situation,” he said.

“In such moments, you have to bring something extraordinary within you and that’s what he did. It was simply outstanding.”

So was it the best innings ever played by Kohli?

“This I will rate among the best I have seen because of the occasion and because of the platform. It was the first match of the World Cup. It’s a massive stage, scoring those runs when you had your back to the wall. It was completely out of the top drawer,” he said.