Shahid Afridi makes a five-word bold prediction about Virat Kohli's "future" before Asia Cup 2022
India is set to square off with arch rival Pakistan in their first encounter of the Asia Cup 2022. The mega-clash will be played on Sunday, August 28 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. It will be a re-match of the game from the last T20 World Cup in the UAE.
Babar Azam and his men thrashed the Indian side by 10 wickets in that game, so it will be an ideal opportunity to take revenge. However, since that game, the Indian team has seen wholesome changes and experimentation in the team.
Rohit Sharma has taken over the leadership role after captaincy. India has tried a lot of players in different departments, including fast bowling as well. But one thing which is still concerning is the lean patch of the former Indian skipper Virat Kohli, who has struggled to reach the 50-run mark in 2022 as well.
His numbers in the IPL 2022 are below-average and in six innings across three formats on the England tour, he wasn't able to cross the 20-run mark. However, he was rested for the West Indies and Zimbabwe tours and is back in the Indian side for the Asia Cup.
All eyes will be on the former Indian skipper in the upcoming tournament. On the other hand, the former Pakistan skipper, Shahid Afridi, has come up with a big statement on Virat's career. When asked about Virat's future by a fan during a Q & A session on his official Twitter handle, Afridi responded, " It's in his own hands."
It’s in his own hands.
— Shahid Afridi (@SAfridiOfficial) August 21, 2022
However, when another fan asked him about his views on Virat's century drought of over 1000 days, he replied, "Bare players ka mushkil waqt me hi pata chalta hai (Only tough times can unearth the big players)."
Bare players ka mushkil waqt me hi pata chalta hai
— Shahid Afridi (@SAfridiOfficial) August 21, 2022
However, just ahead of the Asia Cup, it was confirmed that Pakistan ace pacer Shaheen Afridi has been ruled out of the Asia Cup and the upcoming seven-match T20I series against England at home due to a knee injury.
On the other hand, some media reports also suggest that he is likely to make his comeback in the Tri-nation series in New Zealand in October and will also feature in the T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has not announced his replacement yet.