Former Pakistani cricketers Rashid Latif and Azhar Ali have lavished rich praise on India batter Virat Kohli and talked about the craze of the legend in Pakistan.
The 'chase-master' has the most impressive record in cricket, particularly in the ODI format, and his passion is unrivaled no matter where he travels. Even though Pakistan remains India's most bitter foe, supporters on both sides of the border adore Virat Kohli. Virat Kohli is yet to play an international match in Pakistan.
This could change if India travels to Pakistan next year for the Champions Trophy 2025 which is slated to be played in Feb-Mar.
Former Pakistan stars like Rashid Latif and Azhar Ali, went ga-ga over Kohli, narrating the fan following the India talisman has in the neighboring country.
"The day Virat plays in Lahore, Karachi, Rawalpindi, or in Multan, only then you guys will understand his craze in Pakistan. You won't believe but the stadium will be filled with green jerseys, magar peeche naam Babar ya Shaheen ka nahi, Virat ka hoga aur No 18 ke saath (but the name on the backs won't be Babar Azam or Shaheen Shah Afridi, it will Virat Kohli's along with his jersey No 18)," Azhar Ali told Indian Express.
Ali also added that he offered prayers for Kohli when he was struggling for runs during the 2019-2022 phase.
" When he was out of form, I prayed so many times for him. Allah isko aaj run banane do (Please god let him score). I have prayed for Kohli. I don't know why but I did consistently for three years. You will find people, who will criticize Virat's batting but before criticizing him at least try and understand what he has done for over 15 years. There was a dip but he bounced back. I have not seen anyone doing that," Azhar added.
Rashid Latif, a former Pakistan batter, summed up Virat's fan base in Pakistan, implying that his popularity in the country is comparable to Bollywood luminaries such as Dilip Kumar and Amitabh Bachchan.
“It's not like that Virat is the first one with such a big fan base in Pakistan," said Latif. "If you go back, Dilip Kumar had a massive fan following in Pakistan. Sunil Gavaskar became a cult in Pakistan. Young batsmen were told to copy Gavaskar saab's technique. Then Amitabh Bachchan's 'Angry Young Man' movies used to get sold out. Then came Kapil Dev, Sachin Tendulkar, Shah Rukh Khan, MS Dhoni. When Dhoni came here his long locks became a trend," Latif said.
"But Virat's popularity in Pakistan is on par with Dilipsaab, Mr Bachhan and Shah Rukh. Like in India, you guys loved our bowlers - Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, and Shoaib Akhtar became household names. Here in Pakistan, we adored Gavaskar Saab, Tendulkar, then Dhoni, and now Kohli - they are all icons. Yuvraj Singh and Virender Sehwag too have a good fan following in Pakistan. But all said and done, Virat ko le kar deewanapan next level hai," he said.
