Virat Kohli is a champion batsman. He loves challenges. He thrives on it, and the Indian skipper will not need any motivation to perform against archrivals Pakistan in the upcoming Champions Trophy. But Kohli has just been reminded about his poor record against Junaid Khan by the Pakistan pacer himself, which will stir him up to bring on his A game.
This is just the kind of stuff Kohli loves to take on. Junaid, who has praised Kohli as a brilliant batsman, but pointed at his failures against him.
"I have dismissed him in three out of the four matches we have faced each other. He is a brilliant batsman but he has failed against me," Khan told The Express Tribune.
However, one has to note that Junaid Khan dismissed Kohli thrice in 2012/13 season, when Kohli was still a work in progress. There is a great contrast between the talented Kohli then and the matured Kohli now.
It's not without a reason he is regarded as one of the best batsmen among the current crop of players in world cricket. Kohli has amassed 7,755 runs in ODI format dotted with 27 tons. The Indian captain has led from the front with his bat on a number of occasions and won matches for India single-handedly. His match-winning ability has impressed one and all.
Kohli's ODI record: 179 matches, 7755 runs, 27 centuries, HS - 183
Record against Pakistan: 10 matches, 415 runs, 2 centuries, HS - 183
Kohli might not have had been impressive against Junaid, but when it comes to playing against Pakistan, his record is not bad, with 415 runs in 10 matches including two hundreds. The last match he played against Pakistan was in the ICC World Cup 2015 when he scored 107 runs.
One thing is for sure. Kohli will thank Junaid for reminding him about this particular record just a few days ahead of their match against Pakistan on June 4. This will surely bring the best out of Kohli against Pakistan, and it is going to be an interesting battle when Kohli comes face-to-face against Junaid.
If one has known Kohli, the Indian captain will let his bat do the talking on June 4 in Edgbaston.
