You get as you give when it comes to sledging Virat Kohli. The altercations featuring the former India skipper have been a proof of the same. Former Pakistan pacer Sohail Khan has now mentioned one he had with Kohli back in 2015 during the India-Pakistan group stage opener at the Adelaide Oval.
While Kohli scored a century propelling India to 300, Sohail was the pick of the bowlers for Pakistan, picking a five-for in the first innings. The duo however, had a tense exchange on field. One that Sohail recently revealed details about.
“Virat came. He said to me ‘Aap cricket mein abhi aaye hain. And itni baatein karte ho (You’ve just arrived and you speak so much). I was a Test cricketer back then. I had played Test matches in 2006-07. Then in between I endured a troubled knee which forced me out of action. I said ‘Beta jab tu Under-19 khel raha tha na, tera baap Test cricketer tha‘ (Son, when you were playing Under-19 for India, your father [referring to himself] was a Test player). That’s how I said it. Then if you see carefully, Misbah intervened and he got angry at me. He asked me to keep quiet,” Sohail said on the Nadir Ali Podcast.
However, Sohail added that watching Kohli where he is now today, their altercation during the World Cup almost eight years ago is behind him and that the former India skipper has earned his respect. “I respect him today because he is a great batter, amazing,” he added.
Sohail featured in 9 Tests, 13 ODIs and five T20Is for Pakistan picking up 51 international wickets and although he hasn’t officially announced his retirement, the 38-year-old last played a match for Pakistan nearly six years ago in September of 2017.