NEW DELHI: India's batting icons Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are two of the most celebrated cricketers of the modern era. Known for their match-winning performances and ability to change the course of a game, both have a massive fan-following worldwide, including in Pakistan despite not playing even a single international match in the country.
Pakistan remains an absentee when it comes to countries where Virat and Rohit have entertained fans with their batting. However, Virat did visit Pakistan once during his Under-19 days, but has never played there with the senior team.
Former Pakistan wicketkeeper-batsman Kamran Akmal feels that Virat and Rohit, who have already big adieu to T20Is, should visit Pakistan before retiring from international cricket.
After India’s triumph in the T20 World Cup earlier this year, the Indian batting duo decided to quit the format in the international arena.
1/7:Top 5 current Test batsmen with the most runs
Agencies
2/7:Sachin Tendulkar
The world record for the highest number of runs scored in Test cricket is held by the legendary Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar, who amassed an astonishing 15,921 runs throughout his illustrious career.Agencies
3/7:Angelo Mathews
<p>Angelo Mathews of Sri Lanka finds himself in the top five, but with 7,608 runs to his name. At 37 years old, Mathews is in the twilight of his career.</p><br />Agencies
4/7:Kane Williamson
<p><br /><br />New Zealand's Kane Williamson, who recently turned 34, has accumulated 8,743 runs in Test cricket.<br /><br /><br /></p>Agencies
5/7:Virat Kohli
<p>Virat Kohli, the sole Indian player on this list, has scored 8,848 runs in Test matches. At 35 years of age, Kohli is expected to play for another two to four years at most.<br /><br /><br /></p>Agencies
6/7:Steve Smith
<p>Australia's Steve Smith, currently 35 years old, has 9,685 runs to his credit. Among the active players in this list, he has the highest average in Test cricket.<br /><br /><br /></p>Agencies
7/7:Joe Root
<p><br /><br />England's Joe Root stands out as the only active player in the 10,000-run club, having amassed 12,027 runs at the age of 33. With 3,895 runs separating him from world record, Root has a realistic chance of surpassing the world record.<br /><br /><br /></p>Agencies"Virat and Rohit should visit Pakistan before they retire," Akmal said while talking to TimesofIndia.com in an exclusive interview. "These two are stars of world cricket, traveling across the globe to play the game. Every single fan loves them. They have a massive fan base due to their batting and match-winning performances."
"The fan following they will experience in Pakistan will surpass anything they’ve seen elsewhere."
The last series between India and Pakistan took place in 2012-13. Since then, the two teams have only clashed in multination tournaments like the Asia Cup and ICC events. The absence of regular bilateral series has left fans longing for the resumption of the thrilling India vs Pakistan contests.
"Virat is a role model for many around the world, Rohit is the World Cup-winning captain, and Bumrah is currently the best pacer in the world. When players like Virat, Rohit and Bumrah visit Pakistan, it will evoke unique feelings in every fan. Virat has been to Pakistan during his under-19 days, but he wasn’t as popular then," Akmal said.
1/10:Virat Kohli's record-breaking journey: All major milestones
ANI
2/10:80 International Centuries
<p><br /><br />With 80 international centuries across formats, Kohli is second only to Sachin Tendulkar's record of 100 international tons.<br /><br /><br /></p>AFP
3/10:Most player of the series award in T20I
Virat Kohli, the Indian cricket sensation, has achieved a remarkable feat in the shortest format of the game. With an impressive tally of seven Player of the Series awards in T20 Internationals, he has surpassed all other players in this category.Agencies
4/10:First Batter in ODI History to Score 50 Hundreds:
<p><br /><br />Kohli became the first cricketer to score 50 ODI hundreds, a remarkable achievement that underscores his dominance in the format.<br /><br /><br /></p>PTI
5/10:Most T20I 50s
With an impressive tally of 38 half-centuries in T20 Internationals, Kohli has solidified his position as the batsman with the most 50+ scores in this format.PTI
6/10:ICC Cricketer of the Year
<p>Kohli won the prestigious Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for ICC Cricketer of the Year in 2017 and 2018, recognizing his excellence across all formats.<br /><br /><br /><br /></p>Agencies
7/10:Most Centuries in Chases in ODIs
<p>Known as the 'Chase Master,' Kohli has scored an unparalleled 27 centuries while chasing targets, making him one of the greatest match-winners in ODI history.</p><br /><br /><br />ANI
8/10:Fastest to 3500 runs in T20I
Virat Kohli, the Indian cricket sensation, has achieved yet another remarkable milestone in his illustrious career. The talented batsman has become the quickest player to reach 3,500 runs in T20 Internationals, accomplishing this feat in a mere 96 innings.PTI
9/10:First Indian to Score a Century in Day-Night Tests
<p><br /><br />Kohli made history by scoring a century against Bangladesh in 2019, becoming the first Indian to achieve this feat in a day-night Test.<br /><br /><br /><br /></p>Agencies
10/10:Winner of all three ICC white ball tournaments
Virat Kohli has become the second Indian cricketer to achieve the remarkable feat of winning all three ICC white ball tournaments. He follows in the footsteps of the legendary MS Dhoni, who was the first Indian player to accomplish this milestone.ANI"If Virat visits Pakistan now, he will truly see his popularity here. He will receive a different kind of support in Pakistan. No cricketer is more popular than Virat in Pakistan; he has a bigger fan-following than any other cricketer in the world. Pakistani fans love Virat, Rohit and Bumrah more than any of their own cricket team players," the former wicketkeeper said.
Virat and Rohit will be back in action in the upcoming two-match Test series against Bangladesh.
The first Test will begin on September 19 in Chennai, followed by the second Test at Green Park in Kanpur from September 27.
