MANCHESTER: Virat Kohli on Saturday thanked Pakistan skipper Babar Azam for backing him at a time when the Indian maestro is going through a prolonged lean patch.
"Thank you. Keep shining and rising. Wish you all the best," Kohli tweeted in response to the message from Babar.
Kohli's lean run is now into its third year, the modern-day great last scoring an international century in 2019.
The former India captain's painfully long lean patch of nearly three years has led to calls for his ouster from the T20 World Cup team.
Kohli will not feature in the the five-match T20I series against the West Indies, to be played in the Caribbean and the United States from July 29, and it was speculated that he was rested after the selectors have announced the team.
Coming out in support of the Indian batter, Babar posted a picture of him with Kohli from the T20 World Cup in the UAE last year.
"This too shall pass. Stay strong Virat Kohli," Azam captioned it.
Extending his lean patch, Kohli got out for 11 and 20 in the rescheduled fifth Test against England.
In the T20I series that followed, he was again dismissed cheaply, for 11 and 1 in two matches, and pulled out of the first ODI of the three-match rubber.
Returning to action in the second ODI, Kohli got out for 16 at Lord's.
