Virat Kohli gifts signed India jersey to Pak pacer Haris Rauf after Asia Cup match, wins hearts

Virat Kohli’s heartwarming gesture after India’s 5-wicket win over Pakan in a last-over thriller went viral after the former India captain gifted a signed Indian jersey to Pakan pacer Haris Rauf on Sunday.
Kohli, who was playing his eighth T20I against Pakan, scored 35 ( 36 balls ) holds a decent record against his arch-rivals with three half-centuries in eight T20I innings.
Kohli’s 346 T20I runs against Pakan have come at a healthy average but the strike rate has hovered a shade above 110.
Before the Dubai encounter, Rauf and Kohli had fuelled only once where the batter scored nine runs without being dismissed.
In a video shared the BCCI, Virat Kohli was seen signing his No. 18 jersey and gifting it to Haris Rauf. – “The match may be over but moments like these shine brightA heartwarming gesture @imVkohli as he hands over a signed jersey to Pakan’s Haris Rauf post the #INDvPAK game”
However, the duo first met in 2019 when Kohli was training with two Pakani bowlers in Australia to gear up for the fourth and final Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground against the Kangaroos in 2020.
Having impressed for Lahore Qalandars, Rauf was handed a chance to play in Australian club cricket for Hawkesbury.

Two fast bowlers of Lahore Qalandars, Salman Irshad and Haris Rauf done with a net practice session with Indiam Team. Salman Irshad has given some deliveries to Indian Captain Virat Kohli.@TheRealPCB @thePSLt20 @lahoreqalandars #Australia pic.twitter.com/awLug6bc2t
— Chaudhary Ali Hamza (@iamalihamxa) January 2, 2019
During this period he was seen bowling to Kohli at the nets and even clicked pictures with the Indian captain.
Haris Rauf was spotted bowling to Virat Kohli in the nets in Australia (File/Twitter Photo)
Meanwhile, Kohli had a nervy 100th T20 international as teammate Hardik Pandya led India to a five-wicket victory over archrivals Pakan in the Asia Cup on Sunday. Pandya claimed 3-25 with his fiery short-pitched deliveries and helped India to limit Pakan to 147 before smashing an unbeaten 33 off 17 balls which carried India to 148/5 with just two balls to spare.
Kohli’s landmark 100th T20I, after a rest of more than six weeks, bracketed him with only Ross Taylor of New Zealand to have played 100 games in all three formats.