T20 World Cup 2022: Shoaib Malik heaped praise on Virat Kohli, saying that one can’t afford to compare the right-hander’s class with other batters, especially in limited-overs cricket.

Kohli is absolutely a beast: Malik in awe of IND star after heroic 82 vs PAK. Courtesy: AP

By India Today Web Desk: Veteran all-rounder Shoaib Malik was in absolute awe of Virat Kohli after the Indian batter helped his team beat Pakistan by four wickets in the T20 World Cup Super 12 match against Pakistan. On Sunday, October 23, Kohli put forth his A-game and scored an unbeaten 53-ball 82 with the help of six fours and four sixes.

Apart from playing the blinder, Kohli also put on a crucial 113-run partnership with Hardik Pandya after the Men in Blue found themselves in all sorts of trouble.

Malik, who isn’t a part of the Pakistan squad in the World Cup, reckoned that one can’t compare Kohli’s class to any other batter in the world, especially in limited-overs cricket.

Malik took to Twitter and wrote, “What a Game of cricket we’ve just witnessed & this guy Virat Kohli is absolutely a Beast!! You cannot compare his class to any other player in the world in white ball cricket. He can anchor, he rotates the strike, he can hit sixes and he knows how to finish the Game!”

Earlier, Kohli also conjured praise from Rawalpindi Express Shoaib Akhtar, who was happy to see the right-handed batter back to his very best. Akhtar lauded Kohli for not throwing in the towel despite facing a lot of hardships in the last three years of his career.

“It may be the biggest innings of his lifetime. He was able to play because he had the belief that he could do it. He stayed down and out for three years, he didn’t score runs, he was stripped of the captaincy, he had to face a lot of flak, people even targeted his family,” Shoaib said.

“But he kept training, he kept working hard. Even before Diwali, Kohli lit fireworks as he decided that the stage was perfect for him to make a comeback, for his name. The king is back and he is back with a bang and I am really happy for him,” he added.