If India decides to travel to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, cricket fans might witness Virat Kohli achieve a historic milestone. Here’s why Kohli could score his first double hundred in ODIs on Pakistani soil.
2 Reasons Why Virat Kohli Will Smash His First Double Hundred In ODIs In Pakistan:
Flat Pitches: A Batter’s Paradise
Firstly, let’s talk about the pitches in Pakistan. Known for their flat nature, these pitches are akin to batting roads where bowlers often struggle to get any significant bounce or turn.
- Ideal Conditions for Batsmen: Historically, Lahores, Karachis, and Rawalpindis have offered batting-friendly conditions. These pitches, often criticized for being too docile, provide the perfect platform for batsmen like Kohli to showcase their prowess.
- Kohli’s Batting Style: Kohli thrives on pitches where he can play his shots with confidence. His ability to time the ball and his patience to build an innings will be perfectly suited to these surfaces. When the ball comes onto the bat nicely, Kohli can manipulate it at will, placing it in gaps with precision or driving through the line with elegance.
- Historical Performance: While Kohli has played only a few ODIs in Pakistan, his overall record against spin, which often turns the game on these pitches, is stellar. With the bat rolling true, Kohli could find himself in a rhythm where a double hundred seems not just possible but probable.
Hunger Against His Favourite Foe
Secondly, playing against Pakistan adds a different layer of motivation for Kohli.
- Rivalry Dynamics: The India-Pakistan cricket rivalry is unparalleled. For Kohli, facing Pakistan isn’t just another game; it’s a chance to etch his name deeper into cricket folklore. His performances in high-pressure games against Pakistan have often been exceptional, showcasing his ability to rise to the occasion.
- First Tour to Pakistan: Kohli’s career has been illustrious, yet he has never toured Pakistan due to security concerns. This first tour, should it happen, will be laden with emotions and a sense of history. The novelty and the unique pressure of playing in Pakistan for the first time might just fuel Kohli’s desire to break boundaries.
- Recent Form and Milestones: Kohli, always hungry for runs, has been in scintillating form recently. His quest for personal milestones, combined with the opportunity to score big on Pakistani soil, could see him unleashing an innings of monumental proportions.
The combination of flat pitches and Kohli’s intrinsic motivation to perform against Pakistan sets the stage for a potentially historic innings. If India tours Pakistan, these factors suggest Virat Kohli might not just score runs but could well achieve his first ODI double hundred, marking his tour with a performance that will be talked about for years. Kohli’s bat, paired with Pakistani pitches, could indeed write a new chapter in cricketing history.
