Kolkata: It was a wonderful gesture of friendship that grabbed the attention of everyone present at the Eden Gardens. The gesture came from none other than Virat Kohli as he gifted Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir with one of his bats after his practice session.
The star Indian batsman took the Pakistan bowler by surprise as he handed over his bat to Amir during a pre-match practice session at the Eden Gardens.
Kohli openly welcomed Amir’s return to the international fold last month in Dhaka during the Asia Cup.
“He is a very skilful bowler and I wish him all the best. He has worked hard to come this far and it takes a lot of courage,” Kohli had said ahead of the Asia Cup in Bangladesh.
The camaraderie on display is likely to take a back seat though when the two sides face off in what is the most eagerly awaited clash of the tournament.
Sourav Ganguly Share a Lighter Moment with Indian Cricketers
For a moment the clock went backwards at the Eden Gardens when Yuvraj Singh, Ashish Nehra and Harbhajan Singh met their first International captain at the Eden Gardens today. Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) president Sourav Ganguly was seen spending time with the Indian team before the high-octane clash against Pakistan at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Saturday. ‘Dada’ chatted with India’s vice-captain Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina.
He also met other members of the team who he had shared the locker room with in the past. Ganguly shared a joke while chatting with Harbhajan Singh, Ashish Nehra and Yuvraj Singh.
While most of the Indian cricketers made a courtesy gesture to Sourav, Indian captain MS Dhoni preferred to stay at the net practice.
Shoaib Malik collects tickets for in-laws from Sourav
While the entire Pakistan team was at the ground, senior batsman Shoaib Malik was seen in CAB president Sourav Ganguly’s room. Malik was organizing the tickets for his in-laws who are going to come down to Kolkata to watch the mouth watering clash at Eden Gardens. Sania though will not be present as she is busy playing in the WTA tournament in the US.
Afridi Offers Nawaz after Practice
The Pakistan captain looked supremely focused at the practice session. Afridi very well know this is the best time to set the record straight against India as they are yet to beat the cross border neighbours in major ICC events. The Pakistan captain was seen offering his nawaz after the practice session today at the Eden Gardens.