Kohli speechless after pulling off a ‘special’

Virat Kohli said that he was speechless after scripting a memorable victory for India in a last-ball thriller against Pakistan in the T20 World Cup match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground today.

"Well, it's a surreal atmosphere. I honestly have no words. I have no idea how that happened. Hardik kept telling me, just believe we can stay till the end. I'm lost for words," said excited Kohli, who steered his side with a sparkling unbeaten 53-ball 82 runs knock in front of a 90,000 crowd.

"Well, I think when Shaheen bowled from the Pavilion end, I told Hardik [Pandya] we have to take him down. The calculation was simple. Nawaz had one over to bowl, so if I could take Haris down, they would panic. It came down to 16 off 6. I'm kind of lost for words. [On the two sixes off Rauf] 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," he continued.

"Till today, I said Mohali was my best T20 innings. Then I got 82 off 52, today I got 82 off 53. Both are just as special. All these months when I was struggling, you guys [the crowd] kept me going. Thank you so much," said Kohli.

Kohli's knock helped India reach the target of 160 with four wickets in hand.

Earlier, Hardik Pandya and Arshdeep Singh both took three wickets as Pakistan made 159-8.