Asia Cup 2023: Virat Kohli, Haris Rauf engage in a light-hearted chat ahead of India-Pakistan clash; see video

India and Pakistan’s cricket teams share what surely is one of the fiercest rivalries across all sport, its intensity sometimes overshadowing that of the Ashes that has been in existence for more than a century now.

It’s also a rivalry that is heightened by cross-border tensions between the two nations, with India and Pakistan having fought multiple wars since their independence from British rule in 1947. And more often than not, things get heated during a match to the point where it leads to an unpleasant confrontation on the field (ask Gautam Gambhir, who has been involved in a couple of such situations).

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Off the field, however, Indian and Pakistani cricketers are known to share a great camaraderie with one another, and it’s the similarities in language and culture in this context that helps bring people from either side of the Radcliffe Line closer. Ill feelings that are borne out of decades of mistrust take a backseat in situations when the likes of Virat Kohli and the Babar Azam mingle off the field.

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That certainly was the case on the eve of the blockbuster clash between India and Pakistan at the Pallekele International Stadium, with players from the two teams catching up during a practice session on Friday.

Watch the video here:

Pakistan and India players meet up ahead of Saturday’s #PAKvIND match in Kandy ✨#AsiaCup2023 pic.twitter.com/iP94wjsX6G

— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) September 1, 2023

Pakistan pacer Haris Rauf can be seen walking up to Indian batting star Kohli during the nets session in Pallekele, where the two teams meet on Saturday afternoon in the second Group A encounter of the ongoing Asia Cup. Kohli and Rauf had quite the battle in the T20 World Cup encounter between the two teams in Melbourne, where Rauf had put the Indians on the back foot with a sensational powerplay spell before Kohli produced the innings of a lifetime to guide his team to victory from the jaws of defeat.

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Rauf can also be seen having a chat with Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj, while Pakistan captain Babar and opener Imam-ul-Haq are engaged in a conversation with India captain Rohit Sharma.

With Asia Cup debutants Nepal the third team in Group A, India and Pakistan are expected to meet in the Super Four stage of the Asia Cup as well, and could even meet for a third time in the final should they finish the top two at the end of that stage.