The 2022 edition of Asia Cup is knocking at the door. Desi cricket fans are eagerly waiting for the India-Pakistan match which will be held in Dubai on August 28.
Ahead of the tournament, a video of India and Pakistan’s national cricket teams greeting each other has grabbed our attention on Twitter. And of course, the heartwarming clip has gone viral.
The clip posted by @TheRealPCB (Pakistan Cricket Board) shows both the teams exchanging pleasantries with smile and laughter. It begins with India’s Yuzvendra Chahal, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, and KL Rahul interacting with Pak pacer Shaheen Afridi. All of them can be seen enquiring him about his knee injury.
Chahal and Shaheen’s ‘aur sunao’ moment is all about how desi conversations start with. Also don’t miss Rishabh Pant’s hilarious conversation with Shaheen. “Yaar main soch raha hu aapki tarah bas batting shuru kar du, ek haath se chhakke lagaau,” Shaheen says. To which Pant replies, “fast bowler ho toh effort lagaana padega sir! Compulsory hai.“
All of them also indulge in warm hugs and handshakes. The video also features India’s former spinner and current selector Sunil Joshi, Pakistan head coach Saqlain Mushtaq, and batting coach Mohammad Yousuf. They can be seen reminiscing old times.
Watch the viral video here:
Stars align ahead of the #AsiaCup2022 🤩
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) August 25, 2022
A high-profile meet and greet on the sidelines 👏 pic.twitter.com/c5vsNCi6xw
The video is receiving all the love from netizens and cricket fans ‘coz why not?
More of this content = less hate = mutual understanding and friendship. #India #Pakistan https://t.co/Su6LXuEuWO
— Jesal Suchak (@jescfc) August 26, 2022
Great to see this! Hopefully this becomes the norm for the people of our two nations. #INDvPAK #AsiaCup2022 #brotherhood https://t.co/IRYzxpKfzy
— M. Irshad Baig (@irshad172) August 26, 2022
My favourite kind of content is Indians and Pakistanis talking to each other like they are the same people or something (sic).
-@sabizak
These pre Asia Cup videos are win for cricket, so beautiful to watch. https://t.co/9xt9EBiao3
— Hobib. (@hxxbib) August 26, 2022
Wholesome video ❤️ #INDvPAK https://t.co/jTQkf4uGn3
— Renuka Vyavahare (@renukaVyavahare) August 26, 2022
Divided by borders.
— IQRAツ (@chaiaddict08) August 25, 2022
United by Cricket, Coke studio, Atif Aslam and Arijit Singh. https://t.co/aijcXJ8Xrh
You can’t stop love and brotherhood by creating false hatred and warmongering!!! #AsiaCup2022 #INDvPAK (sic).
-@junaidMian1
My favourite bit is Rishabh Pant meeting Shaheen 😂 #INDvPAK #AsiaCup2022 https://t.co/0H1zq8OHZv
— Karishma Singh (@karishmasingh22) August 26, 2022
Cricket is hope ❤️ https://t.co/zbeDAujd9b
— Aalia Rasheed (@aaliaaaliya) August 25, 2022
It is rightly said, arts, sports and culture have no territorial boundaries. We need more such scenes (sic).
-@shahid_bahadar
Elite content 😍♥️ So good to see Indian and Pakistani cricketers have so much respect for each other. https://t.co/yqmST0vHJ8
— Muhammad Adeel Sabir (@iamadeelsabir) August 26, 2022
O my dear people of India and Pakistan,
— Basit Subhani (@BasitSubhani) August 25, 2022
Just see how these players meet off the field. Peace is the only way forward! https://t.co/HKMsnS8kIm
Yuzi and Shaheen proving that desi conversations will always devolve into “aur sunao?” (sic).
-@UdaySRana
Such a lovely sight to see players from Pakistan and India checking on each other and exchanging pleasantries https://t.co/Xf7Je7zE4Q
— Amanat Ali Chaudhry (@Amanat222) August 26, 2022
This video could have gone on for an hour and I would have probably kept watching it https://t.co/cUFodxOqbE
— Assad (@LeftArmAround) August 25, 2022
Speaking of Shaheen Afridi, as per Times Now, the pacer has travelled to UAE and staying with his team in Dubai despite being ruled out of the 2022 Asia Cup due to his injury. Pakistani skipper Babar Azam requested Shaheen to “stay back” with the team during the entire tournament, the report quoted their local media.
Here’s what PCB spokesperson told to the Pakistani media:
Babar wanted him to stay with the team. Management wants to closely monitor his injury rehab. He will be staying in Dubai itself with the team.
-PCB spokesperson
Meanwhile, the first match of Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan in the 2022 Asia Cup is scheduled to be held on August 27. The tournament will be played in the T20 format this year.