ICC U-19 World Cup 2018: Watch: India-Pakistan Players Keep Rivalry Aside, Win Millions of Hearts With Heartwarming Gesture

There are very few rivalries in the whole world which are as intense as the India–Pakistan cricket rivalry. Any India-Pakistan contest on the cricket field is much more than a mere game of bat and ball and not surprisingly the players rarely show camaraderie.

The rivalry has been shaped up by the political scenarios between the two countries which erupted after the partition of British India into the two neighbors in 1947. The political tensions have been on the rise in recent times too with India making it clear that it won’t resume bilateral ties with Pakistan until it stops cross-border terrorism and firing.

The arch-rivals had not played a full bilateral Test series since 2007 when Pakistan visited India for three Tests and five One-Day Internationals. They played a short series of three ODIs and two T20s in India in December 2012, but otherwise, both had faced each other only in the ICC organised events or the Asia Cup.

The relationship between the two nations reached a new low in November last year when Pakistan launched legal action against their the BCCI, suing them on the ground that the latter did not honor the MoU signed in 2014. The boards had signed the MoU for six bilateral series to be played between 2015 and 2023 with Pakistan hosting four of them.

But amidst the rivalry and the unrest, the teenagers from both countries showed the way forward, displaying that there is still hope.

The internet has been flooded with a series of images of Pakistan and Indian players tying the shoes of each other whenever needed during the semifinal game of the Under-19 World Cup, winning the hearts of millions of Indians and Pakistanis. Not only that the players also congratulated each other after the completion of the game.

Here are few photographs from the game which is winning over the internet.

Meanwhile, the fans were quick to applaud the players’ heartwarming gesture.

This is why i love cricket ???#india #Pakistan #U19CWC #INDvPAK #ICCU19WorldCup
Jus @ImRaina things ???sportsmanship??? pic.twitter.com/FomK51clcP

— naveenkrishnan ➰ (@naveen_ajee) January 30, 2018

A different angle of India vs Pakistan. Wonder if the people in the power do not want cricket between the two countries because it brings them together? #SportsmanSpirit pic.twitter.com/ijqmxyRzvp

— Mazher Arshad (@MazherArshad) January 30, 2018

They are Rivals, Not Enemies. ?

Moments of the match. ?#U19CWC #INDvPAK #PAKvIND pic.twitter.com/01I9cvhje6

— Sounder (@itz_sounder) January 30, 2018

https://twitter.com/sahil_sabharwa/status/958142258141736960?

Coming to the game, India thrashed Pakistan by 203 runs to enter the final where they will take on Australia.