Under the Mirpur lights, Virat Kohli turned crisis into control, rescuing India from a top-order collapse to script a memorable Asia Cup win
Few IND-PAK encounters have been as dramatic as the group-stage clash of the 2016 Asia Cup in Mirpur. Under floodlights at the Shere Bangla National Stadium, PAK’s fiery pace attack shattered India in the opening overs, before Virat Kohli stood tall, leading a tense chase with one of his most underrated T20 innings.
Asked to bat first, PAK struggled on a green-tinged pitch and were bowled out for 83 in 17.3 overs — their lowest T20I total when batting first at that time. Hardik Pandya delivered career-best figures of 3 for 8 in just 3.3 overs, while Ravindra Jadeja’s 2 for 11 tightened the pressure. Only Sarfraz Ahmed (25) offered resistance, with extras (15) ironically PAK’s third-highest contributor.
However, the modest target was never going to be easy. Mohammad Amir, returning to Asia Cup action after years in the wilderness, delivered a spell that threatened to break the game apart.
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His very first over was vicious — Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane were dismissed for ducks, both caught lbw by sharp inswingers. In his next over, Suresh Raina flickered briefly before chipping a catch to mid-on. India were 8 for 3, hanging on the brink of humiliation.
In the midst of the carnage, Kohli walked with his eyes fixed on survival and counterattack in equal measure. PAK’s attack was full of hostility — Amir bowling at 145 kph, Mohammad Sami hitting the ground hard, Wahab Riaz menacing with bounce — but Kohli remained steadfast.
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He opened his account with a firm punch through the covers, then settled into a measured rhythm. With Yuvraj Singh struggling to time the ball at the other end, Kohli shielded the strike, rotating with precision and pouncing on anything overpitched. His seven boundaries were a masterclass in balance and judgement; each stroke threaded through a field buzzing with anticipation.
Kohli’s 68-run partnership with Yuvraj pulled India from the mire, with the required rate never spiralling out of reach. He fell just short of a half-century — 49 off 51 balls — when Sami trapped him in the 15th over. By then, the chase had become a formality.
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Though Hardik Pandya fell cheaply, captain MS Dhoni ensured there were no further alarms, sealing victory with a trademark cover drive. India reached 85 for 5 in 15.3 overs, claiming the match with 27 balls to spare.
Statistically, the game was a study in contrasts. PAK’s 83 was their lowest Asia Cup total, and their lowest ever against India in T20Is. Amir’s 3 for 18 from 4 overs was one of the most threatening new-ball spells seen in Asia Cup history, yet Kohli’s 49 was worth far more than the figures suggested. It served as a blueprint for batting under pressure: a tight technique, calm decision-making, and an unflappable temperament.
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India went on to win the 2016 Asia Cup undefeated, but the Mirpur night remains etched as a Kohli classic. In a game where batters around him faltered, he transformed a shaky pursuit into a composed victory. It was not a century, nor even a fifty, but a 49 that carried the weight of a hundred.
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As Asia Cup 2025 prepares to deliver yet another India–Pakistan blockbuster, this encounter reminds us: runs are not always measured in numbers alone but in the steel they embody.
