Virat Kohli : I was afraid of facing Lasith Malinga’s yorker in World Cup final

Virat Kohli : I was afraid of facing Lasith Malinga’s yorker in World Cup final

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Written by: SportsCafe Desk

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Virat Kohli has revealed that he was fearful of Lasith Malinga's yorkers when he came out to bat in the 2011 World Cup final in Mumbai. Kohli, who played an important knock of 35 runs en route to an Indian win in the final, made the revelation in an interview with Bollywood actor Aamir Khan.

India were playing in a World Cup final for the first time in eight years but the mauling at the hands of Australia in the 2003 final was still fresh in fan's minds. Their worst fears came to life as both of India's top scorers in the tournament, Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag, were back in the dressing room within seven overs. 

In stepped a 22-year-old Kohli to join Gautam Gambhir at the crease. The duo guided India through treacherous waters and managed to stitch together an important crucial 83-run partnership and the rest is history. However, the Indian captain has now revealed that he was terrified of Malinga's toe-crushing yorkers when he stepped onto the pitch.

“Mujhe darr lag rahatha Malinga yorker nahidaale (I was afraid of facing Lasith Malinga’s yorker). Already I was nervous! But after 2-3 balls, I settled down,” Kohli told Aamir Khan in an interview for a TV show, reported India.com.

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