Virat Kohli Is The Best Chaser In The History Of The Game: Naseer Hussain

India defeated Australia in the semifinal of the ICC Champions Trophy in Dubai by defeating the Steve Smith-led side by 4 wickets. 

Australia had set India a target of 265 after batting first, courtesy of fifties from Smith and Alex Carey. India began the chase nicely, but were two down by the end of the first powerplay. That’s when Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer had a 91(111) partnership, and eventually, India cruised to the finals with ease. Kohli was superb in the chase, scoring 84(98) and helping India reach yet another ICC tournament final. 

“It was a pretty clinical run chase. They have got the best chaser in the history of the game. Virat Kohli,” Naseer Hussain said on Sky Cricket after the match.

“And around Kohli, they have so much talent all the way through. Spin bowling all-rounders. Guys that go hard at the ball in the power play. A wicket-keeping batter in KL Rahul. That’s magnificent and an all-rounder in Hardik Pandya makes things easy.

Hussain praised Kohli’s simple method of just knocking it around and playing it on merit and didn’t mind that he missed on what looked like a certain century. 

“You just expect him to get a 100 in a run chase like this,” Hussain said. 

“He gave that one chance that he got away with but his manipulation of the ball today was outstanding. In fact, funnily enough, that early shot he played one of them against New Zealand as well he is quite prepared to take it on. Early but then when he gets in. 

“He is really an expert of just knocking the ball around and finding the gaps with the precision expected. He was going to get the hundred because that’s what he does all the time in a run chase.  It would have been his 29th  ODI hundred. And then he just holed out. But that’s fine.”

India will now await the result of the second semifinal between South Africa and New Zealand and will face the winner of this contest on March 9 in Dubai.