ipl-2017

Updated: Apr 19, 2017 11:28 IST

Cricket matches between India and Pakistan have always been tense affairs. However, it is well known that the cricketers of both nations have been cordial, even sharing deep friendships at times.

So it comes as no surprise that the Indian cricket team extended a hand of support to Pakistan’s former captain Shahid Afridi.

A Virat Kohli shirt, signed by players of the Indian cricket team, was gifted to Afridi earlier and has caught wind on social media after the latter’s retirement earlier this year.

Read | Indian boy arrested for wearing Shahid Afridi shirt, Pak star says it’s shameful

The shirt has a message in Kohli’s handwriting which says, “To Shahid Bhai, best wishes, always a pleasure playing against you.”

Virat Kohli's shirt, signed by Indian team, for Shahid Afridi, with a message "always a pleasure playing against you." pic.twitter.com/KexlCjTNeZ — Faizan Lakhani (@faizanlakhani) April 15, 2017

An image of the shirt was recently uploaded to Twitter by a Pakistani journalist who encountered the shirt.

Signatures of Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Ashish Nehra, Jasprit Bumrah, Suresh Raina, Pawan Negi, Mohammed Shami, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ajinkya Rahane, Shikhar Dhawan, R Ashwin, Hardik Pandya, and coach Ravi Shashtri are identifiable on the image of the shirt.

Afridi announced his retirement from all formats of the international game in February.

He had previously retired from Test and ODI cricket but continued to captain the Pakistan T20I side until the 2016 World T20. He stepped down as T20I captain after he had captained Pakistan against India in a group stage match at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. India won the match by six wickets.

His retirement at the age of 36 brought an end to a 21-year international career during which he played 27 Tests, 398 ODIs and 98 T20I matches.

Afridi had recently been announced as one of eight Champion Ambassadors for the ICC Champions Trophy which will be held in the United Kingdom from June 1 to 18.

Joining him as ambassador were India’s Harbhajan Singh, Bangladesh’s Habibul Bashar, England’s Ian Bell, New Zealand’s Shane Bond, Australia’s Mike Hussey, Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara, and South Africa’s Graeme Smith.