[Watch] When Haris Rauf Recalled Bowling To Virat Kohli In Nets

image-lnuv6phaVirat Kohli with a young Haris Rauf in Sydney in January 2019 (x.com)

Pakistan speedster Haris Rauf, in over three years of his international career, has already troubled the best of contemporary batters with his sheer pace and accuracy. In one of his rare outings against arch-rivals India at the 2022 T20 World Cup, the cricketer jolted Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav both in quick succession to signal a potential victory for his side.

However, he was bested by all-time great Virat Kohli in the last two deliveries of his final over. The Indian batter launched Rauf for two massive game-changing sixes, and that too, at the speedster’s Big Bash home base, the MCG.

A champion nonetheless, the Pakistani speed demon later praised India’s batting wizard while speaking on an ESPNCricinfo documentary.

Haris Rauf praises Virat Kohli’s concentration at the nets

Haris Rauf served as a net’s bowler for Team India when Virat Kohli’s troops toured Australia in December 2018. A young tearaway bowler at the time, the speedster even had the pleasure of bowling to Kohli himself.

While speaking at an ESPNCricinfo documentary “The incredible rise of Haris Rauf”, the speedster recalled his time of bowling to Kohli and praised the latter’s focus and aggression even while batting at the nets. He said:

“When I was a net bowler for the Indian team, and was bowling to Virat Kohli, I felt like he knew exactly where the ball was going to hit his bat. He was very focused and that showed how sharp his concentration was. Ever during practice sessions in the nets, he played with such aggression that it felt like I was playing a match against him, despite being a net bowler. His remarkable control and intensity made me realize why he has such a reputation in the game.”

Watch from 21:49 mins: Haris Rauf recalls nets regime with Virat Kohli

Haris Rauf has emerged as one of the standout bowlers for Pakistan in recent years. Despite making his international debut in January 2020, the cricketer has already featured in nearly 100 matches across all formats, including Pakistan’s fixtures from the 2022 T20 World Cup and the 2023 World Cup in India.