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Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have showcased their talent globally, but they have never played together in Pakistan. Bilateral cricketing relations between India and Pakistan were severely disrupted over a decade ago due to diplomatic tensions. The last bilateral series occurred in 2012-13, when Pakistan visited India for three ODIs and two T20Is. Since then, the teams have only met in multination tournaments.
Meanwhile, the Indian government has prevented the team from traveling to Pakistan due to security concerns. With the ICC Champions Trophy scheduled to be hosted by Pakistan next year, there is considerable uncertainty about India’s participation. It remains to be seen whether the Indian team will travel to Pakistan after more than 20 years or if a hybrid model will be implemented.
In the meantime, former wicketkeeper-batter Kamran Akmal has suggested that Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma should make a visit to Pakistan before they retire from international cricket. The duo recently concluded their T20 careers following their victory in the 2024 T20 World Cup in the Caribbean.
In an interview with the Times of India, Akmal expressed that Indian superstars are widely admired by fans across Pakistan.
“Virat and Rohit should visit Pakistan before they retire,” Akmal was quoted as saying by TimesofIndia.com.
“These two are stars of world cricket, traveling across the globe to play the game. Every single fan loves them. They have a massive fan base due to their batting and match-winning performances. The fan following, they will experience in Pakistan will surpass anything they’ve seen elsewhere,” he added.
Kohli visited Pakistan during his Under-19 days, but his prominence has since grown significantly. Akmal also noted that a visit from the trio of Bumrah, Rohit, and Kohli would greatly thrill Pakistani fans.
“Virat is a role model for many around the world, Rohit is the World Cup-winning captain, and Bumrah is currently the best pacer in the world. When players like Virat, Rohit and Bumrah visit Pakistan, it will evoke unique feelings in every fan. Virat has been to Pakistan during his under-19 days, but he wasn’t as popular then,” Akmal said.
