T20 World Cup: Elated Irfan Pathan lifts Virat Kohli after India vs Pakistan match - WATCH

Former India skipper Virat Kohli played one of his best knocks on Sunday during their encounter against arch-rivals Pakistan at the ongoing ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2022. When India were down and out, Kohli stepped up to the occasion to not only help his team come closer to the target but to emerge victorious as well. The 33-year-old remained unbeaten at 82 off 53 balls as India chased down a 160-run target to win the match by 4 wickets. 

Irfan Pathan lifts Virat Kohli after his sensational innings vs Pakistan

The entire nation of 1.4 billion people erupted in joy, including Indians present at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), where the high-octane match was held. Among those who couldn't control their excitement was former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan, who shared a few videos on social media to mark the memorable win. In one of those videos, Pathan can be seen lifting Kohli up when the latter came for an interview after the game.

Pathan took to his official Instagram handle to share the video with a caption that read, "Patake to Kal hi is bande ne fod diye the, Diwali aaj Mubarak ho Sabhi ko. Lots of love to all. #HappyDiwali (This man already burst crackers yesterday but happy Diwali to everyone today)."

India vs Pakistan

As far as the match is concerned, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma won the toss and opted to field first at the MCG. Batting first, Pakistan lost a couple of early wickets in the form of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan. Arshdeep Singh bowled beautifully to pick the wickets of Pakistan's openers. Shan Masood and Iftikhar Ahmad then forged a crucial partnership to help Pakistan reach a respectable total of 159/8 in 20 overs. 

Arshdeep Singh and Hardik Pandya were the picks of the bowlers from the Indian side as they registered a three-wicket haul each. Mohammed Shami and Bhuvneshwar Kumar also scalped a wicket each to their names. 

In the second innings, Pakistan's Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf struck early to put India under pressure. India were reeling at 31-4 at one stage in the game. However, Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya then forged a much-needed partnership to rescue India from a turbulent start. The duo scored 113 off 78 balls between them before Hardik was dismissed for 40 off 37 balls. Kohli remained unbeaten at 82 off 53 balls to help India finish the chase. He was named the player of the match for his outstanding knock. 

Image: Instagram/IrfanPathan