Picture Credit: Twitter
Team India is gearing up to take on arch-rivals Pakistan in a high-voltage encounter of the upcoming Asia Cup 2022 in UAE. Ahead of starting their campaign both the teams dealt with major blows as Indian speedster Jasprit Bumrah was ruled out of the T20 tournament due to injury and Pakistan's premium pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi too had a similar fate following a knee injury.
While Bumrah has consequently not travelled to the United Arab Emirates and is undergoing rehabilitation in India, Afridi has been accompanying the Pakistan squad in UAE and staying in close contact with the team physio. While Afridi can be seen around the Men in Green wandering around on the ground in UAE, the pacer got an opportunity to meet Indian players in the sidelines of the Asia Cup 2022. The Pakistan Cricket Board posted a video of Afridi meeting Indian players like Virat Kohli, Yuzvendra Chahal, KL Rahul and wicket-keeper batter Rishabh Pant via their official Twitter handle.
As per the video, every Indian cricketer asked about Afridi's well-being and by when he will be back in action, Pakistan pacer had a hilarious conversation with Indian wicket-keeper batter Rishabh Pant. After the duo exchanged greetings, Afridi was heard saying that he is planning to learn to hit one-handed sixes like Rishabh Pant. In response, Pant suggested the Pakistan pacer put in the extra effort being a bowler.
The hilarious conversation between both the players was a testimony of the fact that players of both the team share great repo off the field and the rivalry between both only remains on the field. Earlier, Indian batter Virat Kohli took some time to meet Pakistan skipper and top-order batter Babar Azam as well as the side's batting coach and cricketing great Mohammad Yousuf ahead of India's first training session in the UAE.
The clash between both the teams will be the first encounter between the arch-rivals after they locked horns in T20 World Cup 2021 where Pakistan crushed Team India by 10 wickets. Babar Azam and Md. Rizwan stitched a match-winning partnership in that game to ensure a historic victory for Pakistan.