T20 World Cup 2022: Virat Kohli’s iconic 'shot of the century' at MCG completes two years

Two years ago today Indias highstakes T20 World Cup 2022 contest with archrivals Pakistan was laden with the drama intensity and fervour that such encounters typically promise marking a contest that will resonate in the memories of fans for years to comeStalwart Virat Kohli orchestrated an incredible comeback for India leading them to a thrilling victory in a match fraught with tensionChasing a target of 160 runs Indiarsquos innings began in a dismal fashion as Pakistanrsquos formidable pace attack spearheaded by Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah quickly reduced the Indian batting lineup to a precarious 31 for 4 within the first seven overs Key players KL Rahul Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav were dismissed early leaving the Indian team in a daunting predicament Matters worsened when Axar Patel was run out shortly thereafter intensifying the pressure on the remaining batsmen At this critical juncture with Pakistan seemingly in control Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya took it upon themselves to engineer a rescue operation OnThisDay in 2022 Melbourne Cricket Ground Virat Kohlis iconic 82 in a roller coaster encounter powered TeamIndia to a memorable win in the ICC Menrsquos T20 World Cup 2022 imVkohli pictwittercommuMaJEG0vfmdash BCCI BCCI October 23 2024 OnThisDay in 2022 when all the odds were stacked against us King Kohli delivered a historic innings on the grandest stage against etching his name in cricket lore and making the hellip pictwittercomjnKJkn3yxnmdash Royal Challengers Bengaluru RCBTweets October 23 20242 years ago 23 october The greatest T20I inning THE DAY WHEN VIRAT KOHLI OWNED AT MCG pictwittercomOiURKgFKrLmdash Ramvijay Yadav Ramvijay4046 October 23 2024OTD This is cinema Virat Kohli in God Mode pictwittercomklj4UOdAaZmdash The Cineacuteprism TheCineprism October 23 2024FromDil Dil PakistanToChak de IndiaThe legend made it happen82ViratKohli INDvsPAK2022pictwittercomiWPdLxqmvomdash Kuwar Prateek Singh PrateekRajwada October 23 2024The duo showcased a masterclass in composure and strategy deftly managing the mounting scoreboard pressure while curbing their natural aggressive instincts Their partnership blossomed into a remarkable 113run alliance which not only steadied the ship but also reignited Indiarsquos hopes of victory As the match approached its climax India still required 48 runs from the final three overs a task that appeared increasingly insurmountableHowever the game took a dramatic turn in the 19th over when Kohli unleashed his brilliance against Haris Rauf launching two breathtaking sixes that swung the momentum back in Indiarsquos favour The first was a stunning backfoot punch over longon and the secondmdasha deft flick over finelegmdashsent the MCG crowd into raptures Suddenly the equation shifted with India needing just 16 runs from the last six deliveriesAlso ReadWill it be caution over ambition for India in PuneAs pressure mounted on Pakistan Mohammad Nawaz the leftarm spinner was assigned the daunting task of defending those 16 runs in the final over The tension escalated further when Hardik Pandya was dismissed on the very first ball amplifying the anxiety within the Indian camp Kohli undeterred struck the fourth deliverymdasha waisthigh noballmdashover the boundary for a spectacular six keeping Indiarsquos hopes alive Following this the freehit delivery allowed India to scramble for three byes maintaining the momentumThe T20 World Cup 2022 match teetered precariously as Dinesh Karthik fell victim to a stumping leaving India with just two runs required from the final two balls Enter R Ashwin who displayed remarkable poise under pressure He let a wide delivery pass before calmly chipping the last ball over midoff clinching an extraordinary victory for India The MCG erupted in jubilation as Kohli finished unbeaten on 82 runs off 53 balls etching his name into the annals of cricketing lore