PC: aajtak
2023 Cricket World Cup, the Pakistan team had to face a decisive defeat at the hands of India in the match played at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on 14 October. Pakistani batsmen had to struggle against the Indian bowlers and the Babar brigade was out for 191 runs in 42.5 overs. India easily achieved this target with 117 balls remaining.
After Team India's victory, a spectacular sight was seen on the field. Star batsman Virat Kohli and Pakistani captain Babar Azam were seen engrossed in conversation. During this conversation, Virat Kohli gifted his signed jersey to the Pakistani captain. A video of this gesture has gone viral on social media.
The display of sportsmanship and harmony between Virat Kohli and Babar Azam has made the fans of both countries very happy. However, not everyone was happy with this friendship. Former Pakistani captain Wasim Akram expressed his disagreement over the friendship between Babar and Kohli. Wasim believes that Babar Azam should not have done such actions on the field, especially after such a crushing defeat.
Akram said in a Pakistani TV show, "When I saw that picture, I said exactly the same thing. Today was not the day to do that. If your nephew's son asks you for Kohli's shirt, then do it in the dressing room after the match."
The friendship between Babar Azam and Virat Kohli goes beyond the boundaries of the cricket pitch. There is a relationship between Kohli and Babar which is no less than that of a close friend. Last year, when Virat Kohli was struggling with poor form, Babar Azam openly supported him. Babar shared a photo with Kohli and wrote, 'This time too will pass.' Virat Kohli returned to form shortly after that tweet. Even during the Asia Cup 2023, a strong bond was seen between Babar and Kohli.
In the high-stakes match, the top scorer for the Pakistan team was Babar Azam, who scored 50 runs in 58 balls with the help of seven fours. Apart from this, Mohammad Rizwan contributed 49 runs. Rizwan and Babar made a partnership of 82 runs for the third wicket. For India, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, and Kuldeep Yadav took two wickets each. In reply, the Indian team achieved the target with 31.3 overs remaining. Rohit Sharma scored 86 runs in 63 balls, which included six sixes and as many fours. Shreyas Iyer also played an unbeaten inning of 53 runs.
Wasim Akram's brilliant career:
Talking about Wasim Akram, he holds the record of taking the most wickets for Pakistan in Test and One Day International formats. In ODIs, Akram took 502 wickets in 356 matches at an average of 23.52. In Tests, he took 414 wickets in 104 matches at an average of 23.62. Akram was also a part of the Pakistan team that won the 1992 Cricket World Cup. Additionally, he captained Pakistan at the 1999 World Cup, where the team finished as runners-up.
