Defending champions India are set to take on arch-rivals Pakistan in their Asia Cup 2022 campaign opener on August 28. Ahead of the clash between the two teams, two of the best batters in 21st century -- Virat Kohli and Babar Azam -- met each other.
In a video posted by Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Twitter account, Kohli can be seen shaking hands with Babar who is leaving the field after practice session.
Fans across the borders have been sharing screenshots of the 35-second clip where the two modern day greats greet each other.
The last time India and Pakistan took on each other in the shortest format, the latter registered their first World Cup win against the arch-rivals. Chasing a target of 152, Babar scored an unbeaten 68 as he led his team to a 10-wicket victory alongside Mohammad Rizwan (79).
On the other hand, Kohli helped India recover from the early blows of Shaheen Shah Afridi. The 33-year-old scored 57 runs from 49 deliveries and helped India post a respectable total of 151/7.
Kohli will be returning to the field after a month-long break. His last international appearance was on India’s tour of England.
While comparisons between Kohli and Babar have been very common, former Pakistan all-rounder Wasim Akram recently said that it is unfair to compare the two.
“The fans and media have been criticizing Virat Kohli quite unfairly in the social media. I think he is one of the all-time greats. He is only 33 years of age and I am sure he’ll come back because he is a great player. I hope he doesn’t come back to form against Pakistan,” Akram said.
So far, India and Pakistan have played nine T20Is against each other. Pakistan have won only twice. Before the World Cup win, Pakistan's last T20I win came in 2012 during a bilateral series.
