The rivalry between India and Pakistan on the cricketing front is undoubtedly one of the biggest in the world. It becomes the battle of nerves whenever the two Asian arch-rivals lock horns with each other in any tournament.
Keeping rivalry aside, there are mutual respect and admiration between Indian skipper Virat Kohli and Pakistani fast bowler Mohammad Amir.
Though they share an impressive rivalry on the 22 yards but off the field, the two are great friends and admirers of each other.
Recently, in an interview with PakPassion.com, the left-arm pacer talked about his friendship with Kohli and said, “He (Kohli) is a big name and he is currently the best batsman in the world. Whenever we meet we always greet each other with respect. There is a bond and a friendship between us, a mutual respect and we are always pleased to see each other. He has given me a cricket bat as a gift on a couple of occasions, the most recent being at the Champions Trophy match in Birmingham. I think this sort of bond and friendship should be prevalent amongst all sportsmen of all nations. We are role models and we can bridge differences and bring people closer together.”
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Amir also spoke about Azhar Ali‘s drop catch in the ICC Champions Trophy final that gave Kohli a lifeline. “Naturally, I was angry and upset when the catch was dropped and I immediately thought, ‘Oh No’, we could now lose this match as Kohli is such a great batsman and match-winner and he could make us pay for such a mistake. However, I was relieved and all smiles when the very next ball I got rid of him,” the speedster added.
