Virender Sehwag draws similarities between Virat Kohli’s semi-final display and Ben Stokes’ match-winning knock in the final of the T20 World Cup

Ben Stokes delivered a masterclass in the grand finale of the T20 World Cup to usher England home from an early wobble. With the top order diminished, the English all-rounder found a way to keep Pakistan at bay and hustle past the Asian stalwarts with a clinical flick, bagging him the all-important winning runs.

Former Indian opener, Virender Sehwag heaped praise on Ben Stokes for his knock under pressure, and labelled Virat’s innings against England in the T20 World Cup semis as a replica of the same.

Stokes smashed a valiant 49-ball-52 to help England cross the line in the all-important final. Virat Kohli had delivered a 40-ball-50 to hold the Indian attack together and set up a perfect platform for a grandstand finish from Hardik Pandya in the semi-final against the eventual champions.

Talking on Cricbuzz, Sehwag said, “Stokes would have been criticised if he had scored 52 off 49 balls in the 1st innings, and not while chasing. Because he played as per the situation, his knock is looking good on paper. If we talk about Virat Kohli, his last knock against England doesn't have much weight because India lost the match. And the same knock would've been deemed a crucial one (40-ball 50) if India had won the match.”

He further added, “Because without that knock, India would not have reached the 168-run total. Here, Stokes scored 52 and he remained unbeaten. He guided England to glory and they completed the run chase with 6 balls to spare. Since he ended the match in England's favour, his knock is looking good on the scorecard.”

Kohli finished the tournament being the highest run-scorer, hammering 296 runs at a stunning average of 98 while Ben Stokes topped the charts for England in the list of highest run-scorers. Sam Curran was adjudged as the Player of the Tournament for his stunning show with the ball as he claimed 13 wickets.