I respect Virat Kohli, we would have been great friends – Shoaib Akhtar

Former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar stated he respects Virat Kohli a lot as the Indian skipper has always shown a big heart when he is on the field. Akhtar predicted that he would have been great friends with Kohli had they played together in the same era as both of them are Punjabi and they would have get along with each other.

Virat Kohli is one of the best batsmen of the current era. Kohli is the most consistent batsman as he has a average of more than 50 in all the three forms of the game. The Indian skipper has an insatiable hunger to improve his game and he is one of fittest players in the world. Kohli has scored more than 21000 International runs and has 70 centuries under his belt.

On the other hand, Shoaib Akhtar was also known for his competitiveness on the field. Akhtar never liked giving an inch away to the batsman and breathed down the neck of the opposition batter.

The Rawalpindi Express, as he was famously known during his halcyon days, had great confidence in his skills. The gun pacer believes he would have been good friends with Kohli off the field but the Indian captain would have been his arch-rival on the field.

Speaking in an ESPNCricinfo video podcast with Sanjay Manjrekar, Akhtar said “Virat Kohli and I would have been the best of friends. We both are Punjabi, we both have quite a similar nature.”

“We would have been the best of friends. But on the field, we would have been the best of enemies,” he said.

Shoaib Akhtar is regarded as one of the most deadliest bowlers to have ever embraced the game. Akhtar had a long run-up and a perfect action, which helped him in catapulting thunderbolts at the batsman.

The ace paceman scalped 247 wickets in 163 One Day matches at an impressive average of 24.98. The express bowler snared 178 wickets in 46 Test matches at an average of 25.7.

However, Akhtar’s career was cut short by a plethora of injuries in the fag end of his career.

The fast bowler was known to give his all everytime he represented Pakistan. Virat Kohli is also known to give his 120% everytime he plays for the Indian team.