• Virat Kohli plucked a brilliant catch against Nepal in the fifth match of the Asia Cup 2023.

  • India bowled out Nepal for 230 in 48.2 overs.

WATCH: Virat Kohli grabs a stunner to dismiss Asif Sheikh during India vs Nepal clash at Asia Cup 2023
Virat Kohli takes a one-handed stunner against Nepal (Image Source: Twitter)

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The fifth match of the Asia Cup 2023 between India and Nepal went underway at the Pallekele International Stadium on Monday (September 4). The first innings of the match saw Men in Blue bundle out Nepal for 230 in 48.2 overs after winning the toss and opting to field first.

Aasif Sheikh emerged as Nepal’s top scorer with a gritty 58 off 97 balls, while Sompal Kami chipped in with a valuable 48 off 56 balls. The Indian bowlers, led by Mohammed Siraj (3/61) and Ravindra Jadeja (3/40), managed to keep the Nepalese batters in check.

Virat Kohli’s early mis-step

However, what really caught everyone’s attention was an early blunder by experienced India campaigner Virat Kohli himself. In the second over of Nepal’s innings, Kohli dropped a seemingly straightforward catch off the bat of Asif. It is worth mentioning that it was not the only opportunity India dropped, as they put down three catches overall in the opening five overs.

The stunning redemption from Virat Kohli

But known for his unmatched determination and commitment to the game, Kohli didn’t let that drop define his day. Instead, he used it as motivation to come back even stronger by taking the catch of the same batter in the later part of the game.

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It was in the 30th over of the game when Kohli had his chance at redemption. Although Aasif was batting cautiously, he closed the bat face too early off a delivery from Siraj that eventually resulted in a leading edge. The ball looped gently towards the cover region. Although Kohli had to backtrack quickly as he was fielding close in, he stretched his right hand and plucked the ball out of the air like a magician pulling a rabbit from a hat with lightning-fast reflexes,

The stadium erupted in jubilation as Kohli held onto the catch, while the disbelief on the faces of the Nepalese batters was clearly visible.

Here’s the video:

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VISHWANATH HARIHARAN
Vishwanath Hariharan is Content Strategist at CricketTimes.com. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. From breaking news stories to in-depth features and opinion pieces, he has covered a wide range of topics. Vishwanath is very fond of watching cricket. Like many others, he too grew up watching, playing, and imitating his favourite players of the game. MS Dhoni is like a demigod to him. You can connect with him at vishwanath.hariharan@crickettimes.com and follow him on Twitter & Linkedin.