Former Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir recently expressed his disapproval of the friendly attitude displayed by Rohit Sharma and other Indian players towards Pakistani cricketers ahead of the highly anticipated Asia Cup clash.
Gambhir, while analyzing the Pakistan vs. India match during the Asia Cup 2023 on Saturday, criticized the non-aggressive nature and camaraderie of the Indian team. He specifically pointed out the viral pictures of former captain Virat Kohli having a good time with the Pakistani players at Pallekele.
“When you play for your national team, friendship should be left outside the boundary ropes. It is important to have a game face and aggression in the eyes of both sets of players,” Gambhir stated during a sports transmission.
He added, “You can be as friendly as you want after those hours of cricket. Those hours are crucial because you are not just representing yourself, but a nation of over a billion people.”
Referring to the pictures, Gambhir further emphasized, “These days you see players from rival teams patting each other on the back and exchanging fist bumps during a match. This was something you would never see a few years ago. It is like they are playing a friendly match.”
It is worth mentioning that due to persistent rain, the high-stakes match between India and Pakistan washed out after the Indian team scored 266 runs in their first innings. With the no-result fixture, both teams shared a point, but Pakistan secured their spot in the Super 4s due to their three points from two matches in the group stage.
Meanwhile, India is scheduled to face Nepal on September 4, with hopes of joining Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2023 Super 4s.
This incident has also led to social media discussions, with some trolling Virat Kohli over the now viral video.