Pakistan speedster Shaheen Shah Afridi won the hearts of cricket fans all over the world after he said that he is praying that former India captain Virat Kohli gets back into top form, when the two cricketers met in Dubai ahead of the mega clash between India and Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2022 on August 28.

All the teams have arrived in UAE and began practice sessions at the ICC Academy ground in Dubai. During this, players from India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan were seen mingling with one another, and videos of the same were posted by BCCI and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

Shaheen Afridi, who was not named in the Asia cup 2022 squad as he is rehabbing a knee injury that has put him out of action for 6-9 weeks, has traveled with the Pakistan squad for the Asia Cup tournament.

In a video shared by PCB, Afridi can be seen greeting and hugging India batter, Virat Kohli. He shook hands with Kohli and explained the nature of his injury. Shaheen could be heard saying that he would recover by the time T20 World Cup gets underway in Australia later this year.

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The conversation ended with the Pakistan youngster saying, “Aapke liye Duaen kar rahe hai ki waapis form mein aaye (We are praying that you get your form back)”. Kohli was indeed touched by Shaheen’s words as the former Indian captain said ‘Thankyou’ with a broad smile on his face.

It will be almost a year after when Pakistan routed India in the 2021 T20 World Cup at the same venue in Dubai. Shaheen Afridi had removed the big three Indian batters in Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, and Virat Kohli to keep India to 151/7 despite Kohli’s fifty.

In reply, Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam added 152* runs for the first wicket to give the Men in Green a 10-wicket win.