Watch: Virat Kohli gifts autographed jersey to Babar Azam in wholesome moment after India's World Cup win over Pakistan

Virat Kohli had a special gift for Babar Azam after India's 2023 World Cup win against Pakistan.

Virat Kohli and Babar Azam are bonafide champions. And even though they don't face each other in the cricket field that often, the two share a profound mutual respect and admiration for each other. It is no secret that Babar has long regarded Kohli as a role model, even before he ascended to his superstar status today in cricketing world. In turn, the former Indian captain graciously acknowledged the greatness of Pakistan's skipper in an interview with Star last year, referring to Babar as 'the top batter in the world across formats.'

Virat Kohli hands Babar Azam an autographed jersey.

Kohli and Babar even had a memorable interaction on X (formerly Twitter) last year, which further underscored the high regard Babar holds for Kohli. At a time when Kohli was grappling with a prolonged form slump, Babar extended his heartfelt wishes for Kohli's swift return to his best. In response, Kohli, exemplifying the true champion he is, expressed his gratitude for the well-wishes.

And on Saturday night, the latest chapter of Kohli-Babar camaraderie was written when after India's win over Pakistan, Virat gifted the Pakistan captain an autographed jersey. Kohli handed over the piece of memorabilia to Babar, shook hands and they spoke in one of the most wholesome moments of this World Cup. The gesture drew loud cheers from fans, who had turned up in high numbers to witness 'the greatest rivalry', and while it's regrettable that the contest ended as a one-sided demolition derby, this moment between Babar and Kohli provided fans with reasons to find joy even after the game's conclusion.

Here is the video of the moment:

India made it three out of three, defeating Pakistan in the 2023 World Cup in Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium on Saturday to take their winning streak against the arch-rivals to 8-0. Jasprit Bumrah received the Player of the Match as India won by seven wickets in what turned out to be a lop-sided affair, one that helped India claim the top spot in the points-table.

Chasing 192 runs, India knocked off the target in 30.3 overs, riding on the back of a half-century Rohit Sharma. The India captain slammed 86 runs off 63 balls, packed with six fours and six sixes, which put India in firm control during their chase. Shreyas Iyer, in his first real outing of this World Cup chipped in with a fifty of his own, scoring the winning runs and remaining unbeaten on 53 along with KL Rahul. Virat Kohli couldn't get to a hat-trick of fifties after hitting 85 against Australia and 55 not out vs Afghanistan.

Speaking after the match, winning captain Rohit praised his bowlers before sharing his thoughts about India's chase. "The bowlers were the ones today as well who set the game up for us. I don't think it was a 190 pitch. At one stage we were looking at 280. The way they showed grit says a lot. That is something we pride ourselves in. Whoever gets the ball does the job. We've got 6 individuals who can do the job with the ball. My job as a captain is important there as well. It's to read the conditions and figure out who's the right guy to do the job," he said.

"We were very clear what we wanted to do. Didn't want to be in two minds about who's going to bat where. All in all, it's looking good. Want to keep my fingers crossed. Don't want to get too excited. Don't want to get too low as well. Want to stay balanced. Keep calm and keep moving forward. Every opposition we come up against are all quality. You have to play well on that particular day, and that's what we're looking at."