Pakistan's Babar Azam and India's Virat Kohli are undoubtedly two of the stalwarts of the modern game and are among the top batsmen in the world at the moment.
While there is definitely professional rivalry between the two top stars of cricket, there is of course mutual admiration and respect between Babar and Kohli.
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When Virat Kohli was experiencing a rough patch of form last year, the Pakistani star took to social media to express his solidarity with Kohli as he wrote, "This too shall pass. Stay strong Virat Kohli."
What did Babar Azam say about Virat Kohli?
Speaking to Star Sports, the Pakistan captain stated that he feels proud every time Virat Kohli praises him and revealed how he approached the Indian during the 2019 World Cup in England and how his tips proved to be helpful for him.
It feels really good when someone praises you and the way Virat Kohli praised me, I felt really proud. When someone praises you, you get confidence and when I approached him at the 2019 World Cup, he was at his peak, he is still at his peak. At that point, I thought, I should learn something from him. I asked him a lot of questions and I learned a lot from him. The way he explained everything to me was really helpful.
Beyond rivalries and runs, lies a foundation of respect! 🤝💙@babarazam258's touching encounter with @imVkohli echoes the sentiment of mutual regard that cricket fosters. 🇮🇳🇵🇰 pic.twitter.com/YStrJsGDYU
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) August 31, 2023
Babar got off to a flying start in the ongoing Asia Cup 2023 as he played a brilliant innings of 151 runs in their tournament opener which helped Pakistan beat debutants Nepal by 238 runs.
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What next in the Asia Cup 2023?
Up next, co-hosts Sri Lanka face Bangladesh on August 31 after which rivals India and Pakistan lock horns in the group stage on September 2.