Virat Kohli would be dying to play in Pakistan: Shoaib Akhtar makes bizarre claim
Former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has made a bizarre claim that star India batter Virat Kohli would be dying to play in Pakistan.
Notably, India have denied travelling to Pakistan for the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025. Ever since then, both BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) and the PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board) have been at loggerheads as the future of the upcoming ICC event is in jeopardy.
Amid all the controversy, Shoaib Akhtar has made a strange claim that India is dying to play in Pakistan and even said that Virat Kohli would also be dying to play in Pakistan. The Pakistan legend further pressed his case by saying that playing in Pakistan will also give major boost to India in their TV rights and sponsorship deals.
“India is dying more than Pakistan to play in Pakistan; Virat Kohli would probably be dying to play in Pakistan. I had worked in India with the BCCI, if India land in Pakistan to play, their TV rights and sponsorship are gonna go off the roof,” Akhtar said on a Pakistan TV channel.
Kohli’s first and only visit to Pakistan
Kohli has played in Pakistan as an Under 19 player during a series played between the Under 19 squads of both nations in 2006. India were led by Piyush Chawla on the tour as India won the ODI series by 4-0 and Test series by 2-0. Kohli finished as the third highest run scorer of the Test rubber with 174 runs from two matches (three innings) at an average of 58 with two half centuries to his name.
In the ODI series, the star batter scored 125 runs from three innings at an average of 41.66 with one fifty to his name. It turned out to be the first and last tour of Kohli in Pakistan as the two nations don’t hold bilateral cricketing relations since 2012-13 when Pakistan came to India for a limited over series.
India last travelled to Pakistan to play in the Asia Cup 2008 and hasn’t travelled the country since then. However, Pakistan have continuously visited India for ICC events and also travelled to the country for the ODI World Cup 2023.