Virat Kohli at a post-match press conference termed the Pakistani skipper Babar Azam as a nice guy and showered praises on him.
India lost to Pakistan in their first super four group match of Asia Cup, 2022. Pakistan won the nail-biting thriller in the last over. Mohammad Nawaz was awarded man of the match for his all-around performance with the bat as well as the ball. Virat’s knock of 60 went in vain as India failed to defend the total of 181. Pakistan has leveled the scores now as 1-1 after losing their opening game of the Asia Cup last Sunday.
Virat Kohli heaps praise on his contemporary Babar Azam
Former Indian captain, Virat Kohli, was addressing a post-match press conference where he shared his thoughts on his equation with Babar. He said that the Pakistani skipper is a nice guy who is always very keen to learn. There is always mutual respect between the two stalwarts. He was quoted saying,
“Babar is a very nice guy. I have always had good conversations with him. Kinship, I am not sure of but there is respect, there is always respect. He was always keen to learn. He spoke to me after our game in the 2019 World Cup. I have always said he is keen to learn and there’s no surprise that he is playing like this in all formats of the game. He is obviously a very talented player”
Kohli further said that it is always a nice feeling when they meet the Pakistan team as they are cordial and both the teams get along pretty nicely despite of there on-field rivalry. He said,
“It’s always nice meeting him and also the other guys. They are all very friendly and get along nicely with all of us. There is mutual respect between both teams. I have realized that it was there to be seen last year as well. We are very competitive on the field but very respectful”
Babar Azam’s dream run
Babar Azam has been in the form of his life. He currently stands at the top of the ICC Men’s ODI and T20 batters rankings and third in the test batting rankings. The 27-year-old is the only batter presently that stands in the top 3 of rankings across all three formats. He is also termed the modern-day great by many fans and critics. Ever since he took up the leadership of his side, he has single-handedly won many games for his team.
Meanwhile, Virat Kohli returned to his old self after a long time. Scored back-to-back fifties in two consecutive games. His return to form is extremely important for the Indian team as they go into the ICC T20 World Cup a couple of months from now.
Coming back to the Asia Cup, India and Pakistan ranks 3rd and 2nd respectively at the points table of the super 4. India still has a couple of games left which they have to win to get through to the finals of the tournament where they might face Pakistan again.
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