In the Asia Cup 2023, India and Pakistan will meet for the first time this year, and the first time since their meeting at the MCG in last year’s T20 World Cup. It was the game where Virat Kohli played arguably the greatest and most memorable T20I innings of all time, which included an unbelievable six against fast bowler Haris Rauf.
The 34-year-old superstar Indian batsman will once again be looking to gain a victory for India against its arch-rivals, Pakistan, when the two teams face off on Saturday in Kandy.
The Asia Cup 2023 is in the ODI format, so we will talk about Virat Kohli’s stats and numbers against Pakistan in the Asia Cup (ODI).
Virat Kohli’s stats and records against Pakistan in Asia Cup
Virat Kohli has played against Pakistan in the Asia Cup in ODI format three times – in 2010, 2012, and 2014 editions of the tournament; he was rested from the 2018 edition of the tournament which India won under Rohit Sharma’s captaincy.
Against Pakistan in the ODI Asia Cup tournaments, Kohli has managed two low scores of 18 (in 2010), and 5 (in 2014) on either side of a massive knock of 183 runs in the 2012 Asia Cup in Mirpur.
So in 3 knocks against Pakistan in the Asia Cup (ODI format), Virat Kohli has scored 206 runs at an average of 68 with one century.
That knock of 183 runs in 148 balls escalated Virat Kohli’s ODI career and propelled him as the destined heir of Sachin Tendulkar – as it turned out, Tendulkar announced his retirement from ODIs soon after and it became his last ODI match.
With the help of 22 fours and just one six, Kohli scored 183 runs helping India gun down the target of 330 runs in 47.5 overs. It was one of the best ODI innings of all-time, let alone by a young batsman who was stepping up in international cricket.
Overall, against Pakistan, Kohli has played 13 ODI matches, in which he’s scored 536 runs at an average of 48 with 2 centuries -183 in the Asia Cup 2012 in Mirpur and 107 in the 2015 WC in Adelaide – and 2 fifties.
He’s been in superb form this year: In 9 ODI knocks in 2023, he has scored 427 runs at an average of 53 with 2 centuries and 1 fifty.
