Legendary Pakistani cricketer Younis Khan has extended a heartfelt appeal to Indian batting maestro Virat Kohli, urging him to participate in the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan.
With the event set to be hosted by Pakistan, the participation of the Indian team remains uncertain due to the BCCI's firm stance against sending their players to Pakistan.
Younis emphasised that the only milestone left in Kohli's illustrious career is to play and perform in Pakistan.
Although Kohli toured Pakistan with the India U-19 team in 2006, he has never played there with the senior national team. Kohli has, however, faced Pakistan in numerous ICC tournaments, boasting an impressive record against the arch-rivals.
"Virat Kohli yahan pe aayein aur aake wo waise hi perform kare. Ek feather reh gaya hai unke career mein ki unhone Pakistan mai nahi khela. Agar wo aayenge toh hum sabko bohot acha lagega," Younis told News24, expressing his wish for Kohli to come to Pakistan and perform in the 2025 Champions Trophy.
India has not engaged in any bilateral cricket series with Pakistan since 2012, and the two nations have not competed in a Test series since Pakistan's tour of India in 2007.
Speculations abound about India wanting to play their matches outside Pakistan, adding to the uncertainty surrounding their participation in the Champions Trophy.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has placed the responsibility on the ICC to persuade the BCCI to send their team to Pakistan for the forthcoming tournament. A source from the PCB revealed that while the budget for the Champions Trophy was approved during recent ICC meetings in Colombo, the schedule and format were not discussed.
"The PCB has submitted the draft schedule and format for the event and also a budget. It is now up to the ICC to finalise the schedule," a PCB insider said.
"The PCB has suggested hosting all of India's games in Lahore, including a semi-final and final if India qualifies."
Despite these efforts, India's readiness to visit Pakistan remains in doubt. According to the draft schedule, India’s matches are to be held in Lahore, but the BCCI is reportedly hesitant, proposing a hybrid model instead.
This uncertainty could mean that Kohli might never play a match in Pakistan. The former captain has retired from T20Is and now focuses on ODIs, Tests, and the IPL.
In his call to action, Younis Khan reiterated the significance of Kohli playing in Pakistan, calling it the "only thing left" in his career.
Kohli, who played against Pakistan during their limited-overs tour in India in December 2012, has consistently performed well against Pakistan in both white-ball formats in the Asia Cup and World Cups but hasn't faced them in Test cricket yet.
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