Sep 04, 2024 04:30 AM IST
Fans from Pakistan want Virat Kohli to show his support for Babar Azam, who is currently in the middle of a huge slump in form.
India’s Virat Kohli has once again been dragged into the debacle that is Babar Azam’s form amid Pakistan’s 0-2 whitewash at the hands of Bangladesh in the Test series. The former India captain has been asked to show support for struggling Babar so that his fortunes and that of Pakistan’s cricket can change. Kohli is currently in London with his family and will most likely make his much-awaited comeback to cricket along with the rest of his teammates when India host Bangladesh for a two-Test series at home. However, before he can do that, fans from across the border want the Indian batting star to return the favour to the former Pakistan captain.
In 2022, when Kohli was in the middle of a form slump, Babar had wished for Kohli to come out it when he posted on X, “This too shall pass. Stay strong Virat Kohli”. Kohli acknowledged Babar’s kind gesture with a ‘Thank you’ and even wished him luck for his future. This was right after India’s tour of England, where Kohli had registered scores of 16, 17 in two ODIs and 1, 11 in the T20Is. It was a period when Kohli was at his lowest ebb and looked mentally worn out and totally out of touch – easily the worst in years.
But little did the world know that Babar’s post would lead to a catastrophe from where there seems to be no return for him. Kohli took a break and roared back in the 2022 Asia Cup. Prior to the start of the tournament, Kohli shook hands with Babar and even exchanged words with Shaheen Afridi, who too prayed for his return to form. That tournament marked the start of a fresh chapter in Kohli’s career as he struck his maiden T20I century and carried that momentum into the T20 World Cup, where he enriched his legacy by playing that breathtaking knock of 82 not out against Pakistan in an innings of a lifetime.
Virat Kohli and Babar Azam, a contrasting tale
But while Kohli has gone from strength to strength, Babar finds himself in the middle of a wretched streak. His last big score in Tests dates to December of 2022, when he scored a century against Sri Lanka. It has since been 616 days since Babar hit a Test fifty, leading to widespread criticism. Between then and now, Babar stepped down from captaincy, was given it back and again removed from the post, but nothing has brought the kind of luck he would have wished for. On the back of another tough loss – a home series defeat – fans feel Babar needs support now more than ever, and are hence, waiting for Kohli to make a move.
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Kohli and Babar have been part of several India-Pakistan battles lately, with there being only one winner. Kohli pummelled Pakistan in the 2022 T20 World Cup and last year’s Asia Cup when he bludgeoned a century as India posted over 350. Babar, struggling for form, was dismissed cheaply in that game and couldn’t do much in the World Cup and the T20 World Cup matches either. As Pakistan cricket finds itself in the middle of another turmoil, with questions raised on its team unity among the many prevailing issues, will Kohli break the internet again? Well, only time will tell.
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