Virat Kohli is arguably the best batsman in the world in the current generation. Kohli has been on a record-breaking spree with every half-century or century scored. Given the marvellous form he is in, it will be safe to assume that Kohli is unafraid to take a strike against any bowler in the world.
In a candid interview with Gaurav Kapur, Kohli revealed that in the initial stage of his career, there was indeed a bowler he was reluctant to face. And that he was better off watching from the non-striker end. He was none other than former Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Akhtar aka Rawalpindi Express.
On Breakfast with Champions, this is exactly what Kohli said about facing Akhtar,
I never faced Shoaib Akhtar but I saw him bowl in Dambulla. Even in the latter part of his career, he looked lethal. After watching Shoaib Akhtar, I thought when he was at his peak, would’ve been better to be at non-striker’s end when he was bowling.
Here’s the full interview of Indian skipper (two parts):
The above incident dates back to 2009 during an Asia Cup fixture at Dambulla. Kohli got out before facing Akhtar. Though for cricket fans, it would have been a battle to revisit on Youtube.
