Bangladesh wicket-keeper batter Mushfiqur Rahim revealed that he doesn’t sledge Virat Kohli as it only pumps up the veteran Team India batter to perform well. The two players will be up against each other in the ICC ODI Cricket World Cup 2023 on Thursday, October 19 at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune.
Virat Kohli has a terrific record against Bangladesh in ODIs. He has scored 807 runs at an average of 67.25, and a strike rate of 101.25. He has slammed four centuries and three fifties in fifteen matches. Ahead of the upcoming match, Bangladesh wicket-keeper Mushfiqur Rahim spoke about the Indian cricketer. He expressed that sledging acts as a motivation fuel for Virat Kohli. He said to Star Sports,
“Some batters in the world love sledging and get pumped up by that. So I never sledge him because he gets pumped up by that. I always tell my bowlers to get rid of him as early as possible.”
I really love that rivalry with Virat Kohli: Mushfiqur Rahim
Bangladesh cricketer Mushfiqur Rahim further expressed that he enjoys the rivalry with Virat Kohli, as it presents a different challenge. He added that the Indian cricketer always has a go at him, which shows his competitiveness on the field. Speaking to Star Sports, Mushfiqur Rahim said,
“Whenever I play against him, he always tries to sledge me every time I go in to bat because he is a really competitive guy and he doesn’t want to lose any cricket match. I really love that rivalry with him and the challenge that comes with facing him and India.”
Virat Kohli has been in good form in the ongoing ICC ODI World Cup 2023. He has scored 156 runs at an average of 78.00 and a strike rate of 82.11. He played a crucial knock against Australia, which set the tone for the tournament.
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