Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan showered praise on Indian batting maestro Virat Kohli as the two Asian teams prepare to face off in the ICC Men's ODI World Cup 2023 match on October 19 (Thursday) at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune. India have gotten off to an impressive start to the campaign with three consecutive wins, while Bangladesh did secure a victory in their first match but have since then gone on to lose the next two.
Kohli and Shakib have a substantial history of competing against each other on the cricket field over the past decade. Interestingly, the Bangladesh all-rounder has managed to dismiss the former India skipper six times in 23 matches across various formats. Reflecting on his rivalry with Kohli, Shakib Al Hasan considers himself lucky for having taken Kohli's wicket 6 times in international cricket across all formats.
"He’s a special batsman, probably the best batsman in the modern era. I think I’m lucky to get him out 5 times. Of course, it will give me great pleasure, taking his wicket.” Shakib told Star Sports ahead of the India-Bangladesh clash.
Virat Kohli Lauds Shakib Al Hasan
Kohli, in turn, lauded Shakib's skills, describing him as a formidable opponent. The former India skipper commended Shakib's ability to dominate even the world's top batters. "Shakib has a lot of experience. Over the years, I have played a lot againts him. His control is commendable. And hehas vast experience as a bowler. He knows how to deceive the batter especially and bowls well with the new ball as well," he told the official broadcasters of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 in India.
Despite Bangladesh's recent record of not defeating India in the last three ICC Men’s ODI World Cup matches, Kohli declined to underestimate them and emphasised that there are no weak teams in a prestigious tournament like the World Cup. He remarked: "There are no weak teams in this World Cup. Whenever teams tend to focus only on heavyweights, an upset tends to occur."