Former Pakistani cricketer Kamran Akmal believes that Indian players Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli should visit Pakistan before hanging up their boots. He said that both Indian stars should have a fan following in the neighbouring country as they will witness their huge popularity.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are two of the biggest names in the world of cricket. They have achieved a lot in their career and are two of the main reasons behind the Indian National Cricket Team’s dominance in all three formats of the game for over the last decade.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have played cricket in almost every part of the world. However, one place they have not played together yet is Pakistan. The duo might end their career without playing in the Asian country. But there is a possibility that they might play in Pakistan for the first time as the 2025 Champions Trophy will be played there.
The 2025 Champions Trophy is scheduled to be played in February or March, but there is very little chance of India travelling to Pakistan for the tournament. There may be a possibility of a hybrid model where India plays its matches in the UAE and Sri Lanka, while the rest of the matches will be played in Pakistan.
Kamran Akmal said Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have a huge fan following and they would experience a different aura in Pakistan. Speaking to the Times of India, he explained:
“Virat and Rohit should visit Pakistan before they retire. These two are stars of world cricket and they travel all over the world to play. All the fans love them.
“They have a huge fan base because of their batting performances and match-winning performances. The fan base they will experience in Pakistan will surpass anything they have seen anywhere else.”
Virat Kohli is a role model for many around the world, Rohit is the World Cup-winning captain – Kamran Akmal
Kamran Akmal also highlighted how Virat Kohli has been a role model for many around the world and also highlighted the impact of Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah on world cricket. He explained:
“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 evokes unique feelings in every fan. Virat visited Pakistan during his U-19 stint, but he was not that popular back then.”
Kamran Akmal added that Virat Kohli will enjoy huge popularity in Pakistan and will have a huge support there. Explaining this, he stressed:
“If Virat visits Pakistan now, he will really see his popularity there. He will get a different kind of support in Pakistan. No cricketer is more popular than Virat in Pakistan. He has more fan following than any other cricketer in the world. Pakistan fans love Virat, Rohit and Bumrah more than any of the players in their cricket team.”
Virat Kohli had already visited Pakistan during his time with the Under-19 team, but since then, due to political tensions between the two nations, the two teams have not met in a bilateral series. The last time they played a bilateral series was in 2012-13, but it was held in India.
