'Babar Azam in Bhagwa in Sanatani Virat Kohli's country': Pakistan captain picture with saffron stole goes viral

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Pakistan cricket team arrived in India after a gap of seven years in India and cricket fans in India can't stay calm. The Babar Azam-led team arrived at Hyderabad's Rajiv Gandhi International Airport at around 8:15 PM and were welcomed by a sea of fans who waved and chanted their names from a distance amid tight security.

Pakistan players looked well composed and the likes of Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi acknowledged the fans and the media with a broad smile on their face. In one of the many videos which have gone viral, Pakistan players can be seen watching in awe the crowd around the team bus.

Babar Azam's picture in Saffron stole goes viral

As expected, Babar Azam was the main centre of attraction and his picture with a Bhagwa stole wrapped around his neck has gone viral. The players and support staff of the Pakistan cricket team were greeted by Park Hyatt Hyderabad employees with stoles.

The hotel staff were randomly picking stoles which were of various colours including saffron, green, blue and pink, and welcoming the Pakistan cricket team by putting them around their necks as per the traditional Indian custom.

Pakistan captain Babar Azam was incidentally welcomed with the saffron coloured stole. Vice-captain Shadab Khan also got the Bhagwa stole. The colour is considered scared in Hinduism.

Considering the tense political relations between India and Pakistan, the pictures and videos soon went viral. Here are the top reactions.

Pakistan players overwhelmed by warm reception in India

The Pakistan players took their social media handles to thank the airport officials, security, fans and hotel staff for a very welcome in India. Pakistan pacers Shaheen Afridi and Zaman Khan posted late night Instagram stories to express their gratitude for a warm welcome.

"Overwhelmed with the love and support here in Hyderabad!" Babar Azam wrote in an Instagram Story.

"Amazing reception from the people here. Everything was super smooth. Looking forward to the next 1.5 months," Mohammad Rizwan wrote.

India will face New Zealand in their first warm-up match at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad on Friday, September 29. They will then face Australia on October 3 at the same venue. Pakistan are scheduled to kick off their World Cup 2023 campaign against Netherlands on October 6.