Virat Kohli and Mohammad Amir were engaged in an on-field duel during the India-Pakistan clash in the Asia Cup.
Neither of them were willing to give an inch, and their competition has drawn praise from none other than former Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar.
The Rawalpindi Express has gone on to compare their battle to the ones he had with India’s premier batsman Sachin Tendulkar.
The 40-year-old said that Kohli was India’s best batsman and Amir’s return to the team bolstered Pakistan’s bowling attack. Akhtar said that when these two face off in the future, it will be a sight to watch. He believes international cricket will benefit from this contest.
Amir was the star for Pakistan taking three quick wickets to damage India’s top order as they chased 84 to win. Kohli however hit a solid 49 to guide India home by five wickets. After the match, Kohli congratulated Amir for his brilliant spell of 3/18 in 4 overs.
Whether or not this contest between the two escalates to the level of Shoaib and Sachin remains to be seen. Kohli is one of the best batsman around at the moment while Amir has just made a comeback into international cricket.
So will their rivalry become one to remember? Only time will tell. But in the meantime, it certainly seems to be an interesting battle in an India-Pakistan clash.