Despite tags like ‘arch-rivals’, ‘nemesis’, ‘blockbuster rivalry’ given to the contest between India and Pakistan, players of both countries have maintained a great rapport with each other off the field. It was noticed after the 2021 T20 World Cup match with the picture of Virat Kohli hugging Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam, and a similar was seen on Sunday after the former India captain, in a heartwarming gesture, handed an autographed India jersey to a Pakistan star.
Following the match where India won by five wickets with Hardik Pandya holding his nerves in the thrilling chase, Kohli was seen chatting with Pakistan pacer Haris Rauf and later handed his a signed jersey to him.
BCCI later shared the video of the same and captioned it, "The match may be over but moments like these shine bright. A heartwarming gesture by @imVkohli as he hands over a signed jersey to Pakistan's Haris Rauf post the #INDvPAK game #TeamIndia | #AsiaCup2022"
Notably, this was a second autographed jersey he received from an India legend. After the match against India last October in Dubai in the 2021 T20 World Cup opener, Rauf asked former India captain MS Dhoni, who was travelling with the team as a mentor, to send him a signed CSK jersey.
{{/usCountry}}Notably, this was a second autographed jersey he received from an India legend. After the match against India last October in Dubai in the 2021 T20 World Cup opener, Rauf asked former India captain MS Dhoni, who was travelling with the team as a mentor, to send him a signed CSK jersey.
{{/usCountry}}“I met MS Dhoni after the game against India at the T20 World Cup last year. I asked him to give me one of his shirts. But I told him that I wanted a CSK jersey and not the Team India one," Rauf said on YouTube channel ‘The Grade Cricketer’.
“He told me that he will surely send me that. I finally received it when I was in Australia," he added.