IND vs PAK 2022: "That's totally uncalled for and disrespectful"- Fans unsure whether Shaheen Afridi's comments on Virat Kohli's form were genuine or just 'mind games'

A video of the conversation between Pakistan speedster Shaheen Afridi and Indian star Virat Kohli has become a topic of great debate among fans. The injured left-arm pacer met a number of Indian players like Yuzvendra Chahal and Rishabh Pant as they made their way to practice in Dubai.

Afridi also met Kohli in a similar fashion, and the former Indian captain asked the youngster about his knee injury. The 22-year-old explained the extent of his injury and followed it up by saying that he had been praying to see Kohli back in form.

Kohli smiled and thanked him for his wishes, shook hands, and went ahead. At first, it really looked like a heartwarming conversation between two competitive cricketers who had mutual respect for each other.

However, some fans on Twitter claimed that these were the 'mind games' that the arch-rivals were playing to remind Kohli that he was out of form.

Here are some of the reactions:

Lol thats totally uncalled for and disrespectful.. never have i ever seen something like this, kaiyon ki form gayi hai history mein, but this is strange...hum dua karte hain aapki form waapis aa jaaye ? 😅😅 Koi global cricketing pandemic nhin hai Virat ki form..😭😭 twitter.com/oyeekd/status/…

i think most ppl are sweet but lack common knowledge of psychology and human behaviour you're not supposed to say it. twitter.com/oyeekd/status/…

There is nothing wrong in wishing good for someone but he is already being criticized for his performance. Whenever he doesn't bat well, people just not only troll him but also his wife. Toh aisa comment 🙄
It really seemed disrespectful and totally unnecessary to me. ✋ twitter.com/oyeekd/status/…

I know he meant well but even an “out of form” Virat has been the most prolific Indian batsmen in recent years, just struggled to convert 50+ scores into centuries, which I think he will against Pakistan. twitter.com/oyeekd/status/…

Imagine kitne bure din aa gaye hain Indian cricket ke😮‍💨 twitter.com/oyeekd/status/…

I don't care about what others think but I feel Shaheen really cared about Virat's form and not just to show off ❤❤
Respect @iShaheenAfridi 🙌🙌 twitter.com/oyeekd/status/…

The look @imVkohli gave him for a split second made me think he wasn’t sure if @iShaheenAfridi was being sincere or executing a world class troll. Recovered quickly though. twitter.com/oyeekd/status/…

Like half of Tottenham squad consists of closet Arsenal fans, we have a Pakistani team full of Kohli fans 😭😭😭. twitter.com/oyeekd/status/…

Afridi just trolled the shit out of Virat. A vintage Virat would have got all fired up and scored a 50 ball century. Today’s virat will probably score a 30 ball 40 and hi-fi the players after a defeat twitter.com/oyeekd/status/…

It's good to see. People behaving like people. You want drama watch daily soaps. twitter.com/oyeekd/status/…

He is the same guy who mock our team..well nothing to say much now. twitter.com/CricCrazyJohns…

Aur taaref karo Babar ne dil jeet liya, Shaheen saaf dil insaan he.
Never saw Dhoni telling Shoaib Malik that bhaijaan apka performance consistent rahe. The people from across the border play such vicious mind games.
I hope DK smashes Shaheen in WC brutally if he gets a chance. twitter.com/oyeekd/status/…

Kohli in last three years has never accepted that he is having bad form. No journalists has dared to asked him about his form. But in last two months he has been reminded for that twise by babar and shaheen .😭😭
Its embarrassing but kohli needs to hear that twitter.com/oyeekd/status/…

It's not reminding, it's about the possibility of poking subtly.

We don't know Shaheen's intention, maybe he wasn't poking Kohli. But, still, it's not that straightforward. twitter.com/Jokeresque_/st…

Babar: 'This too shall pass'
Shaheen: 'We want to see you back in form'

Pakistan's lovebombing of Virat Kohli is an elite tactic, there's no way it's not pre-planned. Convinced it's the only reason they've kept an injured Shaheen in the UAE

These words were so unnecessary. His intentions were good but you dont use such kind of words to other sportsman in his decline phase. twitter.com/oyeekd/status/…

Virat Kohli could make India's Asia Cup 2022 opener special

Amidst all the talk about Kohli's inconsistent form, there is also a positive that may have fans excited about the India-Pakistan encounter on August 28. The former Indian captain has scored as many as 311 runs at an outstanding average of 77.75 in just seven T20Is against Pakistan.

Be it his patient 49 in a tense chase during the 2016 Asia Cup, or his fine half-century during the 2016 T20 World Cup, Kohli has often brought his A game to the table against Pakistan in the shortest format.

Former cricketers like Saqlain Mushtaq have clearly warned the Men in Green that they cannot underestimate Kohli just because of his poor form. It will be interesting to see how the 33-year-old shapes up after returning from a long break and whether he sets the stage ablaze in the Asia Cup.