Watch: After Virat Kohli Special, "Even The Great Sunny Ji Couldn't Stop Dancing"
After the win, fans as well as former India cricketers rejoiced. One among them was former India captain Sunil Gavaskar, who is in Australia with the official broadcasters.
For the Indian cricket fans, Diwali came a day early with Virat Kohli's fireworks lighting up the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday. The former India captain scored 82*, a knock that he termed his best in T20Is, to help India defeat Pakistan by four wickets in a thriller. After the win, fans as well as former India cricketers rejoiced. One among them was former India captain Sunil Gavaskar, who is in Australia with the official broadcasters. "What scenes here at the MCG. Even the great sunny ji couldn't stop dancing Virat you are the real king indiaaaaa indiaaaaaaaaaa," Irfan Pathan posted a video of Gavaskar on Instagram.
Watch: Sunil Gavaskar's Dance After India's Win
In the match, Virat Kohli sang a perfect redemption song on the grandest stage with a magical knock that engineered India's colossal four-wicket win over arch-rivals Pakistan at the MCG, packed with 90,000 boisterous fans. Kohli conjured a memorable unbeaten 82-run knock to anchor a chase of 160 which became tricky after India were left in tatters at 31 for 4.
Hardik Pandya, the most important cog in India's T20 wheel, struck 40 off 37 balls in a partnership of 113 for the fifth wicket.
Kohli's ability to win matches for India had come under the scanner due to a prolonged lean patch and with his knock he proved that he remains one world best chasers in world cricket -- something that his captain Rohit Sharma acknowledged after the heart-stopping game.
"Well, it's a surreal atmosphere. I honestly have no words. I have no idea how that happened," Kohli said after his incredible knock. Hardik kept telling me, just believe we can stay till the end. I'm lost for words." It started in the 19th over when Kohli sent one from Haris Rauf on his hunches and pulled off two back-to-back sixes.
Cricket indeed is a leveller as Rauf, after 22 splendid deliveries bowled two bad ones and it changed the complexion of the game
Asked about those sixes, the former India skipper said, "It's just instinctively I saw it, told myself to stay still. The one at long-on was unexpected, it was a back-of-a-length slower ball. The fine leg one, I just threw my bat at it."
With PTI inputs
India Cricket Team
Pakistan Cricket Team
Sunil Gavaskar
Virat Kohli