The love for cricket is something both India and Pakistan share as it comes as no surprise that cricketers from the two countries are loved on both sides of the border. In current times, Pakistan skipper Babar Azam is widely respected by Indian fans while the Men in Blue’s talisman batter Virat Kohli enjoys a huge fandom in Pakistan.
The 6th T20I in the ongoing series between Pakistan and England at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore showed one example of the same as a fan’s banner went viral all across social media. The Pakistan cricket team supporter present inside the iconic arena was spotted holding a sign showing love for Kohli and asking him to play a game in the country before he retires.
Despite playing international cricket across all three formats of the game for a long period of 14 years, Kohli is yet to play a game in Pakistan. The poor political relations between the two countries in the wake of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks in 2008 have meant that the two nations have stopped bilateral series and only meet each other in multi-nation events such as ICC tournaments and the Asia Cup. A small exception was made in 2012/13 when Pakistan played 3 ODIs and 2 T20Is in India.
Team India last visited Pakistan in 2008 for the Asia cup that year in which they lost to Sri Lanka in the final. This event had taken place just a month before Kohli’s international debut for the national side. India have not travelled to Pakistan for a bilateral series in 2006 when they played a Test and ODI series in the country.
Kohli has never played a Test match against Pakistan either as the two teams last played each other in red-ball cricket in 2007 when India hosted a 3-match series alongside 5 ODIs.
