NEW DELHI: Batting stalwarts Virat Kohli and Babar Azam shared a heartwarming moment ahead of the much-anticipated ICC Champions Trophy 2025 encounter between India and Pakistan at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.
As Babar, in full batting gear, walked out to open the innings alongside Imam-ul-Haq, he was greeted by Kohli with a warm embrace. The gesture of sportsmanship between the two batting icons quickly went viral, capturing the emotions of cricket fans worldwide and setting a positive tone before the high-stakes clash.
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Pakistan skipper Mohammad Rizwan won the toss and opted to bat first, making one change in the playing XI by bringing in Imam-ul-Haq for the injured Fakhar Zaman. Fakhar was ruled out of the tournament after being part of their tournament opener.
With their tournament hopes hanging by a thread after a heavy 60-run defeat against New Zealand, Pakistan faced immense pressure in this must-win encounter.
India, on the other hand, entered the match with confidence, having beaten Bangladesh by six wickets in their opening fixture. A victory against Pakistan would all but secure India's place in the semi-finals, while a loss would virtually end Pakistan's title defence.
However, the start of the match was far from ideal for India, as experienced pacer Mohammed Shami bowled an erratic opening over, conceding five wides in an 11-ball spell.
The gripping encounter is expected to deliver high-intensity action, but the Kohli-Babar moment of camaraderie remains one of the early highlights of this marquee clash.
Playing XIs:
India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul (w), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep YadavPakistan: Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (w/c), Salman Agha, Tayyab Tahir, Khushdil Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed
