Virat Kohli responds to PAK captain Babar Azam's 'this too shall pass, stay strong' post

Former Team India captain Virat Kohli took to his official social media handle to respond to Pakistan skipper Babar Azam's post extending support to him. Azam had told the 33-year-old to stay strong and that his poor phase of form too shall pass. It is pertinent to note that the Pakistani skipper has publicly highlighted his admiration for Kohli.

Virat Kohli responds to Babar Azam's heartwarming post

Virat Kohli took to his official Twitter handle on July 16 to respond to Babar Azam's post. He thanked the Pakistani captain for his sweet words and told him to keep 'shining and rising'. He concluded his post by wishing Azam all the best. The post has been received well by fans, who have given it over 24.3k likes in less than an hour.

Babar Azam feels Virat Kohli needs to be backed

While speaking at his pre-match press conference ahead of Pakistan's first Test match agianst Sri Lanka in Galle, Babar Azam said, "I just feel that in the present situation Kohli needs support and to be backed. I tweeted wishing him best because I know how a player feels when he is going through this period, and he needs the support of everyone."

Kohli, who is currently playing in Team India's ongoing ODI series against England, is yet to smack a century in almost three years across any format. The last time the 33-year-old got to the three-figure mark was on November 22 in 2019 against Bangladesh. As for this year, Kohli has only managed to score 158 runs from seven ODI games, with two fifties to his name.

Virat Kohli to be given a month's rest

According to a report from InsideSport, Virat Kohli will be given a month's rest after the conclusion of the ODI series against England, with the hope that the 33-year-old will get a good break to work on his mental fatigue. The report adds that the former Team India captain will only be available next for the Asia Cup in late August. 
If Kohli were to even struggle during the continental tournament, then the ICC T20 World Cup later this year in August could be his last chance to prove himself. In case of failure to live up to his expectations, he would be asked to play in domestic competitions before he would be considered for the national side again.