Virat Kohli on his MCG knock vs Pakistan in T20 World Cup 2022: 'Something higher was guiding me'

Virat Kohli has opened up on his famous T20 World Cup 2022 knock against Pakistan like never before and brought a spiritual angle to it. Kohli scored 83 unbeaten runs off 53 balls to help India chase down 48 in the last three overs in front of a jam-packed Melbourne Cricket Stadium (MCG).

Recalling the moment, the 34-year-old former India captain said that the magic happened when he ran out of wits and had almost given up. The star right-hand batter asserted that it would be unfair to claim that he planned the famous knock as it was "something higher" which was guiding him.

“I was going through what I was going through, then I came back in the Asia Cup and I was playing well and I felt like 'Wow I’m ready to play in this World Cup’. At the 10th over mark, we were 31 for 4 and I had just ran Axar out. I was 12 off 25 balls, or something.

I remember in the break, Rahul bhai came to me and I don’t remember what he said. I swear and I even told him this as well. I told him, 'I have no idea what you told me in that break because I was zoned out’,” said Kohli at a Puma event.

“My mind was spinning so fast…I was like this is worse than it was before. I had spiralled down so far down that there is no comeback from here and that was my honest feeling at the halfway mark.

"That is when my instinct took over. So, when I stopped thinking and planning, whatever God-given talent I have that came to the surface and then I felt like something higher was guiding me. I can’t claim any of that. I was trying to do it before as well but it wasn’t working.

"The lesson for me was stop using your mind so much because it actually pushes you away from real magic. What happened that night, I can never explain it and it won’t happen ever again,” Kohli added.

The stellar innings has left the entire cricketing world awestruck. Kohli's straight six off Haris Rauf has become one of the most iconic shots in the history of the game. Kohli is currently with the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) squad for the IPL 2023.