‘Whenever I needed help, he has been kind to help me out’ - Ahmed Shehzad opens up on his bond with Virat Kohli

Pakistan batter Ahmed Shehzad lavished massive praise on the star India batter Virat Kohli and opened up on his equation with the latter. The Pakistan cricketer further credited Kohli for his immense contributions for his national team in Test cricket.

Shehzad highlighted that the India batter was quite ‘chubby’ when he first burst onto the scene, however, his efforts on improving on various aspects helped him earn rich dividends. Furthermore, shedding light on his relationship with Kohli, Shehzad iterated that he shares mutual respect with the Indian star. Moreover, the latter has helped him whenever the Pakistan batter sought help from him. Interestingly enough, Shehzad also believes that the best of the batting maestro is still to come.

"We share a mutual respect for each other. Whenever I need any advice regarding cricket, he has been kind (to help me out). I really respect him as a player. He has changed himself dramatically. When he burst onto the scene during the U-19 World Cup, he was a bit chubby,” Shehzad said on Nadir Ali's podcast.

“But the way he has transformed himself, not just from the cricketing aspect, it is commendable. He took India to new heights in Test cricket. I haven't seen someone who has adapted so quickly. I feel, his best is yet to come," he added.

Shehzad last played for Pakistan in 2019 against Sri Lanka

Ahmed Shehzad has remained on the sidelines as he last featured for the Men in Green in 2019 during a T20I match against Sri Lanka in Lahore. While it has been difficult for the Pakistan batter to get back his place in the national team, it remains to be seen if the think tank includes his services for the 2023 ODI World Cup, slated to be played in India during October-November.

As for Kohli, the former skipper led the national side in 68 Test matches which featured wins on 40 occasions, 17 losses and 11 draws, at a win percentage of 58.82. In addition to this, he also led team India to the summit clash of the inaugural edition of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final in the 2019-21 cycle. The swashbuckling right-hander will be next seen in action in the forthcoming tour of West Indies, scheduled to be played in July.