IND vs PAK Asia Cup 2023: Gambhir criticises Kohli for 'nothing shot' to get clean bowled by Shaheen Afridi

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IND vs PAK Asia Cup 2023: Gautam Gambhir criticised Virat Kohli for playing a "nothing shot" and getting clean bowled by left-arm pacer Shaheen Afridi during India's first Asia Cup 2023 match against Pakistan at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium.

Coming out to bat after the departure of India captain Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli opened his account with an exquisite cover drive off Naseem Shah but was clean bowled by Shaheen Afridi on the third ball of the seventh over.

Caught in two minds, Virat Kohli tried working a delivery outside off-stump towards third man but an inside edge hit his pads first before clipping the leg stump.

"Nothing shot. Neither on front nor on back foot. He just used his hands and that's what happens then," Gambhir told Star Sports during the second rain break.

The former India captain has faced 98 deliveries from left-hand pacers since the start of 2021. He has scored 87 runs against them at an average of 21.75 and a strike rate of 88.77. The 34-year-old has also been dismissed four times during the process.

India were rattled by Pakistan pace unit after opting to bat first in overcast conditions. Shaheen Afridi cleaned the stumps of Rohit Sharma (11 off 22) and Virat Kohli (4 off 7) before Haris Rauf got rid of Shreyas Iyer (14 off 9) and Shubman Gill (10 off 32).

India have won each of their last three ODI matches against Pakistan, the current number one ranked ODI team in the world. Pakistan last defeated India in an ODI match in the final of the ICC Champions Trophy 2017.