Virat Kohli is yet to play a single match for Pakistan – his only appearance was for India’s Under-19 team in 2006. India severed its cricketing partnership with Pakistan after the Mumbai attacks in 2008 and Kohli has only played 16 ODIs and 10 T20Is against India in international matches. Despite this, Virat Kohli has a huge fan following in Pakistan.
“The day comes when Virat plays in Lahore, Karachi, Rawalpindi or Multan, then only will we understand the craze for him in Pakistan,” former Pakistan captain Azhar Ali told The Indian Express.
“Believe it or not, the stadium will be filled with green jerseys, you won’t see Babar or Shaheen’s name anywhere and Virat will be wearing the number 18 jersey (however, instead of Babar Azam or Shaheen Shah Afridi’s name on the back it will be Virat Kohli’s name and number 18 jersey),” laughs Ali.
Perhaps this “Deewanapan” is best exemplified by Azhar Ali’s own reaction during Kohli’s poor form, with the former Pakistan captain saying not a day went by when he wasn’t praying for Kohli to get back on track.
“When he was out of form, I prayed for him many times. Allah please give him runs. I prayed for Kohli. I don’t know why but I did that for three years straight,” he laughs. “People may criticise Virat’s batting but before you criticise them at least try to understand what he has done for over 15 years. There were dips but he bounced back. I have never seen anyone like that,” Azhar says.
Fans were seen holding up placards with messages for Kohli during Pakistan Super League and domestic matches broadcast on several occasions. In 2019, a motorbike rider was seen in the Pakistani city of Lahore wearing a replica Pakistan cricket team shirt from the Cricket World Cup with Kohli’s name on the back. During Kohli’s poor form the same year, at a Pakistan vs Australia cricket match in Karachi, fans were seen holding up placards with the message “Dear Virat! Whether you score a hundred or not, you will always be my hero”.
Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif likened Virat’s fanbase to that of Bollywood stars Dilip Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan.
“Virat is not the first player to have such a big fan base in Pakistan,” says Latif. “Looking back, Dilip Kumar had a huge fan following in Pakistan. Sunil Gavaskar had a cult following in Pakistan. Young batsmen were told to emulate Gavaskar’s saab technique. Then Amitabh Bachchan’s Angry Young Man films sold out. Then came Kapil Dev, Sachin Tendulkar, Shah Rukh Khan and MS Dhoni. When Dhoni came here, his long hair became a trend.”
“But Virat’s popularity in Pakistan is at par with Dilipsaab, Mr Bachchan and Shah Rukh. Like in India, you all love our bowlers. Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Shoaib Akhtar have become household names. Here in Pakistan, we worship Gavaskar saab, Tendulkar and then Dhoni and now Kohli. They are all icons. Yuvraj Singh and Virender Sehwag also have a huge fan following in Pakistan.”
“But at the end of the day, Virat is on another level (the craze for him is on another level).”
Ahead of last year’s Asia Cup, co-hosted by Pakistan and Sri Lanka, sand artist Sachan Baloch from Gawadar, Balochistan, painted a portrait of Virat Kohli. A video of the artist and his work on the sand went viral on social media. “I just wanted to show my love and respect for Virat. He’s the best,” he said at the time.
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Azhar Ali said Kohli’s popularity among Pakistani millennials and Gen Zers is due to his conduct over the years, his fitness, passion and aggression.
“Virat can score but Pakistan should win, that’s what I’ve heard,” Ali says.
“First of all, he has transformed Indian cricket. You can argue that Sourav Ganguly and MS Dhoni have also played a role. But when it comes to fitness, no one can match Virat Kohli. He has led by example. He is a role model for all the youngsters.”
“We now have the fittest athletes in our region. Earlier, we used to look at Western athletes as an example. Now Virat has set the standard. Pakistani youth are fascinated with the sacrifices he has made. You will see him in interviews saying that he has given up eating his favourite food (chhole batule) for cricket,” he added.
The former Pakistan captain feels it is also the passion and aggression in his game that has endeared him to the Pakistani side.
“We also admire his passion. We all know what he can do with the bat. He is a player who has scored runs against all opposition and on their home soil. He dominated England’s bowling attack in 2018 but not every Asian batsman can do that in English conditions.”
“Sachin Tendulkar’s records will never be broken (people think Sachin’s records will never be broken). This guy has broken all Sachin’s records in ODIs. It’s unbelievable. I remember at one event, Sachin himself said, ‘There is a man sitting in this room who will break my records’.”
Azhar talks about how Virat is never satisfied, another trait that has earned him respect across borders.
“Pakistan had talented youngsters too but they end up missing out on talent. I don’t want to mention names but there are a lot of them. Look at Virat. Most cricketers feel relaxed and satisfied when they get praised by Sachin. But not Kohli. That comment was what propelled him to make his name known and he has done just that,” he said.
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When Virat Kohli struggled to score runs, Pakistan cricketers across the border cheered him on. Pakistan’s current captain Babar Azam tweeted, “This too shall pass. Stay strong.” In a video posted by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) during the 2022 Asia Cup, left-arm seamer Shaheen Shah Afridi can be heard telling Virat, “I pray for you to get better.”
Virat’s unbeaten 82 against Pakistan at the MCG in the 2022 T20 World Cup is best known for the two sixes he hit off Haris Rauf. It caused a frenzy across the Pakistani media. Speaking on sports show The Pavilion, host Fakahle Alam called Virat a “foreigner among men”. Former Pakistan fast bowler Aquib Javed heaped praise on Kohli’s opening six against Rauf, saying “nobody in this generation of cricketers can hit shots like that.”
Azhar called it the greatest T20 knock of all time: “It will be remembered as the greatest T20 knock. I don’t think anyone else could have done it. He was a gift from God, God gave him unreal talent (He was a gift from God, God gave him unreal talent). Very few people are as blessed. Virat Kohli is one of them. As long as he is alive, we should respect him.”
“I respect him as a complete player and what he has done for cricket in the Indian subcontinent. It is a shame that India and Pakistan don’t play bilateral matches. You can’t imagine the amount of fans he has here. Youngsters see his lifestyle and just want to emulate it. He is a bona fide star. Even kids in Pakistan can tell you his numbers. We will never see a player like Virat Kohli again,” Azhar said.
Kohli is now 35 and as things stand he may never get a chance to play for Pakistan, but he wants to go there. An old video that resurfaced earlier this year shows Kohli chatting with Pakistani mountaineer Shehroz Kashif. “Please send my best regards to all my family and friends,” Kohli added. “Hopefully I will visit Pakistan soon, now that everyone has started visiting.”
