India and Pakistan fans and players have almost always showcased a remarkable bonhomie ahead of cricket matches despite the rivalry between the two teams. The two teams are set to meet again in their opening match of the T20 World Cup later this week and the players are hard at work preparing for the clash.
A video that has been making the waves shows Pakistan’s star opener and wicketkeeper hitting a few balls in the nets an interacting a fan who offers to bowl him some leg spin.
“Rizwan bhai mai daalu leg spin? (Should I bowl some leg spin for you),” says the fan in the video. Rizwan proceeds to play a shot after which he turns to him. “Leg spin? Haa karade yaha phir. Peshawar aa jao, waha pe. (Yes sure. Come to Peshawar, bowl there),” he says.
“Bhai mai toh India se hu. (I am from India, brother),” the Indian fan proceeds to say with a smile. The fan goes on to say later that Rizwan is his favourite Pakistan cricketer and that he himself plays part-time as a leg spinner, which is why he was offering to bowl.
India are set to face Pakistan on Sunday in the T20 World Cup at the cavernous Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), which has been sold out for the fixture. India had fallen to a stunning 10-wicket defeat to Pakistan in the opening match of the 2021 T20 World Cup. It marked the first time that Pakistan had beaten their arch-rivals in any World Cup match. The two sides also faced each other twice in the Asia Cup as well. While India had won the first match by five wickets, Pakistan won the second by the same margin.