IND vs PAK: Sanjay Bangar predicts Virat Kohli's shots vs Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, Shadab Khan

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Virat Kohli was the man for India when India needed 28 off the last eight balls when India last met Pakistan at the T20 World Cup 2022 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in Australia. Ten months later, the 34-year-old will again be the key man for India against the arch-rivals.

The mouth-watering contest between the batting maestro and Pakistan pace trio Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf will be on display and watched by billions across the world on Saturday, September 2 in Pallekele when India kick off their Asia Cup 2023 campaign in hunt of their eighth title.

Virat Kohli averages a solid 48.72 in 13 ODI matches against Pakistan which has seen him score 536. Two hundreds and two fifties have come off his bat against the Men in Green. In the ODI format of the Asia Cup 2023, Kohli has scored 613 runs in 11 matches at an average of 61.30.

Pakistan have always boasted of a strong bowling unit and the current pace trio brings with it a lot of challenge. Each of the three bowlers are different from each other and known to give no breathing space to the opposition. However, on Saturday they would be once again against the best batter of the generation.

They could not defend 28 off 8 against the superstar batter in their last meeting and will surely come up with dedicated plans for the technically very sound batter. Kohli is out of his lean patch and playing big knocks again. Kohli just loves playing in the 50-over format which has seen him score close to 13000 runs at an average of 57.32, including 46 hundreds.

Preparations would be there from Kohli's side as well. Sanjay Bangar, India's former batting coach who has also spent a long time with Kohli at the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), has predicted Kohli's game plan and shots against each of the five Pakistan bowlers expected to feature in the playing eleven.

Virat Kohli vs Shaheen Afridi

Bangar has reckoned that Kohli has got over his habit of lunging forward which was leading to him edging the ball in the slip cordon or getting trapped in front of the stump. He said that the 34-year-old is now allowing the ball to come to him and that would help him negate the late in-swinging delivery from Shaheen Afridi.

Sanjay Bangar has suggested that Kohli would look to play Shaheen deliveries straight down the ground or through the mid-wicket region.

"Generally, he was sort of lunging towards the ball, making a big stride forward, and because of that, he was getting out a lot in the slip cordon or also was getting out trapped in front of the wicket. So what is he doing now? He is setting up really nice and early, staying still, allowing the ball to come to him," Sanjay Bangar told Star Sports.

"That is one aspect which is going to help him big time, especially against Shaheen Shah Afridi because he gets the ball to swing in late. And if we are watching the ball, letting it come to you, you can actually play it down the ground or play it to mid-on or mid-wicket region; that is where his strength is," he added.

Virat Kohli vs Haris Rauf and Virat Kohli vs Naseem Shah

Kohli not leaning forward would help Kohli judge Naseem Shah's tempting deliveries on the off-stump channel better according to Bangar. He added that pull shots would be Kohli's answer to Haris Rauf's usually short and back length deliveries.

"Against Naseem Shah, because he is not lunging forward, his judgement outside off stump is going to be perfect. And against Haris Rauf, who is sort of back of the length all the time, he can rock onto the back foot or play those pull shots which he did really well in the last Asia Cup," he said.

Virat Kohli vs Shadab Khan and Virat Kohli vs Mohammad Nawaz

Leg-spinner Shadab Khan and left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz are expected to take the responsibility of the spin department in the high-octane clash.

Sanjay Bangar has predicted that the former India captain would mostly look to stay on the back foot and cut Shadab Khan through point and cover region. Forecasting Kohli's game plan against Nawaz, Bangar said Kohli would either use his feet or look to get on his back foot against short deliveries to play him through mid-wicket region.

"Against the spinners, he has his own methods of scoring runs. Against Shadab Khan, he will look to rock onto the back foot, play between point and cover region, a lot on the back foot. Against Mohammad Nawaz, he will look to use his feet because he is not afraid of doing that.

"And if the ball is pitched slightly short, then he can rock onto the back foot and explore that area on either side of the deep mid-wicket region. So that’s how Virat Kohli is going to counter the Pakistan bowling, and it is pretty guaranteed that the intensity he generates in these games is going to lift not only his game but also the intensity in this crucial match against Pakistan," Bangar concluded.