Allah... let him score: Former Pakistan skipper Azhar Ali expresses his craze for King Kohli

Indian stalwart batter Virat Kohli is the guy, who dominates the cricket world. His fans are all over the world. Even his opposition players admire him a lot. There isn't any player who can be ranked number 1 in all three formats against Virat. The run machine of India has made a ton of records in ICC events. As India will lock horns against Pakistan today in a highly anticipated clash, the expectations from 'King Kohli' have soared high. 

Kohli's craze in Pakistan

Pakistan is a country that loves cricket like any other country in the Indian subcontinent. The fan craze for Kohli is huge in Pakistan. Not only the fans but the star players of the Pakistani team also like Kohli a lot. Former Pakistani skipper Azhar Ali revealed his wish before the faceoff. 

What has Pakistan's former skipper said?

When Virat Kohli finally graces Pakistani soil, you'll witness the extent of his popularity. As former Pakistan captain Azhar Ali remarked during an interview. He stated that when Kohli steps onto the grounds of Lahore, Karachi, Rawalpindi, or Multan, stadiums will be awash in green jerseys bearing his name and the iconic jersey number 18.

"When Virat plays in Lahore, Karachi, Pindi or Multan stadium will be filled with green jersey, but the name on the back won't be Babar or Shaheen, It will be Virat Kohli"
- Azhar Ali pic.twitter.com/2C1fjT7Ixp

— Varun Giri (@Varungiri0) June 8, 2024

Azhar Ali prayed for Virat's redemption

Azhar Ali also revealed that during Kohli's slump from 2019 to 2022, he fervently prayed for his resurgence. Despite criticisms, Ali emphasized Kohli's unparalleled contributions to cricket over 15 years, noting his remarkable comeback from adversity. Notably, Virat Kohli was out of form during this period, where he failed to score big on numerous occasions. 

It's noteworthy that despite Kohli's extensive cricketing career, he hasn't played a single match in Pakistan. While he traveled to Pakistan with India's Under-19 team in 2006, cricketing relations between the two countries halted after the Mumbai attacks in 2008. Since then, India and Pakistan have only met in ICC tournaments. Yet, Kohli's popularity in Pakistan remains unmatched, despite facing Pakistan in just 16 ODIs and 10 T20 matches.