I share a good relationship with Gautam Gambhir, he’s like my brother: Kamran Akmal

It is indisputable that India and Pakistan have been involved in a plethora of battles on the field over the years. Out of the many heated moments one might remember, the feud between Gautam Gambhir and Kamran Akmal during an Asia Cup clash between the arch-rivals stands out as the most prominent.

However, the former Pakistani wicketkeeper-batter, in a recent interview, opened up on his relationship with Gambhir, currently serving as the head coach of the Indian team. Akmal likened Gambhir and his relationship as a brotherly bond.

"We share a good bond and are good friends. Even with Gautam Gambhir too. I mean me and Gautam are good friends too. I share a good relationship with him. He’s like my brother," stated Akmal while in an interview with Arvind Krishnan, as quoted by CricBlog.

Akmal also congratulated Gambhir on emerging victorious in maiden Test series while assuming the role of head coach. India recently whitewashed Bangladesh on home soil to seal victory. 

"In fact, I’d like to congratulate Gautam on winning his first Test series as a coach. I’m so happy for him," mentioned Akmal.

Also Check: WATCH: Gautam Gambhir visits Datia's Maa Pitambara Temple ahead of Gwalior T20I

We used to talk a lot about wicket-keeping: Akmal

Shifting focus to his association with ex-skipper of the Indian team, MS Dhoni, Akmal spelled out the various attributes of the man which he was appreciative of. He also revealed that he enjoyed discussing cricket with Dhoni - be it about wicketkeeping or batting.

"No doubt MS Dhoni is someone with a different mentality altogether, an absolute match-winner and he’s super calm. The way he played was fantastic, and had a fantastic career. We used to talk a lot about wicket-keeping. We used to talk a lot about batting and yeah, it was often good to talk to Dhoni," added Akmal.

Also Read: I believe the rules will keep changing till MS Dhoni wants to play IPL: Mohammad Kaif

Akmal, having retired from international cricket in 2017, recently featured for Pakistan Champions during the 2024 edition of the World Championship of Legends. He notched up 180 runs in seven matches at an impressive strike rate of 148.76.