IND vs AFG: Virat Kohli Returns in T20Is With Aggressive Approach, Plays an Entertaining Knock at 181.25 Strike Rate

Virat Kohli returned to T20I cricketer a long gap of about 14 months and made an instant impact with an aggressive knock while batting at number 3. Kohli is known for pacing his innings by taking some time to get settled and then smashing the bowlers in the death overs. But on Sunday, he proved that he can go all guns blazing right from the start if that’s what the team demands from him.

The batting maestro scored 29 runs off 16 balls at an astonishing strike rate of 181.25. He scored five boundaries during his stay in the middle.

The 34-year-old smashed a four on the second ball he faced and then continued to manufacture boundaries at regular intervals.

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Meanwhile, he was dismissed by his old nemesis – Naveen-ul-Haq in the last over of the powerplay. Kohli went on to play the big shot but didn’t find the elevation and got caught by Ibrahim Zadran for 29.

He shared a crucial partnership of 57-run alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal after Rohit Sharma’s early departure in the chase.

The Indian skipper’s rough patch continued as he registered back-to-back ducks on his T20I back. After getting run out in the series opener on the second ball, the swashbuckling opener got bamboozled on Sunday by Fazalhaq Farooqi. He tried to play a big shot straightaway but failed to get a bat on the ball and was bowled for a golden duck.

Earlier, an attacking 57 by Gulbadin Naib and some late cameos helped Afghanistan to 172 all out against India’s persistent bowling attack in the second Twenty20 international on Sunday.

Left-arm quick Arshdeep Singh took three wickets, while spinners Axar Patel and Ravi Bishnoi picked up two each as India sought to clinch the three-match series after their win in the opener.

Naib, a top-order batsman, took the attack to the opposition in his 35-ball knock laced with five fours and four sixes.

He raised his fourth T20 half-century for Afghanistan but fell against the run of play when Patel got the batsman caught at short mid-wicket by skipper Rohit Sharma.

Wickets kept tumbling, but Najibullah Zadran (23 off 21 balls), Karim Janat (10-ball 20) and Mujeeb Ur Rahman (21 off nine) boosted the Afghanistan total.