"Haris Rauf is not the same bowler after he got hammered by Virat Kohli" - Fans react after Pakistan pacer's 97-run spell in warm-up game vs Australia

Ace Pakistan fast bowler Haris Rauf endured a tough outing with the ball on Tuesday (October 3) during the warm-up match against Australia at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad.

Australia batted first and notched up a mammoth total of 351/7 in 50 overs on a flat surface. They played with their front-line batting line-up, who got enough match practice against quality Pakistan bowlers.

Only Shaheen Afridi and Hasan Ali bowled economically for the Men in Green. The rest of the bowlers leaked runs heavily. Haris Rauf was completely off-color against the Aussie batters, conceding 97 runs in his 9-over spell in the contest.

Fans took note of Rauf's poor bowling form ahead of the World Cup and expressed their reactions on X (formerly Twitter). Here are some of the best reactions:

---

"I don't think any other player can hit a shot like that off my bowling" - Haris Rauf recalls Virat Kohli's shot against him in 2022 T20 World Cup

Rauf recently recalled his encounter with Virat Kohli at the T20 World Cup last year. The Indian stalwart took Rauf to the cleaners and pulled off a sensational chase for his side in that game. Kohli hit an incredible six over Rauf's head when India needed 28 runs from eight balls, which is now part of folklore.

Speaking in ESPN Cricinfo’s documentary The Incredible Rise of Haris Rauf, the Pakistani pacer 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.

"Even during practice sessions in the nets, 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."

Rauf continued:

"The way he [Kohli] played in the World Cup, that is his class, we all know the types of shots he plays. And the way he hit those sixes, I don't think any other player can hit a shot like that off my bowling.

"If Dinesh Karthik or Hardik Pandya would've hit those sixes, I would've been hurting but those came off Kohli's bat and he is a different class altogether."