Friendship Day 2018: Top five friendships in the world of sports

Sport is all about bringing people together. Over the years, some of the fiercest on-field rivals have come to become the best of friends off it. It's hard to imagine such great competitors forging beautiful human bonds away from the playing arena, and therefore always an interesting story for the fans. Since it's friendships day, let's take a look at five of the best friendships in the field of sports.

VVS Laxman- Rahul Dravid

For most part of their fabled careers, the duo formed the spine of the India's middle order in Tests. Both men were modest and hardworking, if Laxman was stylish to the core, Dravid was commited to break his sweat for every run he accrued. 

However, the chemistry between the two is a throwback to when they both joined forces for the first time when Karnataka took on Hyderabad in an U-19 match at the M Chinnaswamy stadium. 

Overtime, the two batsmen went on to consolidate India's position in World Cricket. Such was their bond, that two cricketers even bid adieu to the game in the same year, March and August respectively.

Sourav Ganguly- Sachin Tendulkar

The duo formed the most destructive and successful opening partnership on the pitch and an abiding friendship off it. If interviews and social media are anything to go by, these two idols of Indian cricket have still remained the best of friends, ocassionally engaging is friendly banters and revealing funny anecdotes about their playing days. 

In his autobiography titled 'A Century is not enough' Ganguly remebers the time Sachin Tendulkar taped his bat when India toured England in 1996, a sojourn which saw the Bengal southpaw announce his arrival on the international stage. 

Xavi - Iniesta

Xavi and Andres Iniesta spent more than a decade together at Barcelona, creating one of the best midfield partnerships in the sport’s history. Off the field, they hold each other in high regard and are the best of mates. In 2015, when Xavi left Barcelona for Al Sadd, Iniesta was reduced to tears as he bid farewell to his friend at a special event and labelled Xavi as his "captain, team-mate and friend."

Roger Federer - Rafael Nadal

Despite their fierce rivalry on the court, the two tennis greats remain good friends off it. In 2016, Federer was invited as a special guest when Nadal opened his tennis academy in Mallorca, Spain. At the event, Federer said about Nadal, "I've been around the game 17 years. I've seen a lot of hard workers and inspiring players, but you've been the one in my opinion who has been the most inspiring and most influential and made me the player I am today" 

LeBron James - Dwyane Wade

After James became a free agent in 2010, playing with his good friend Wade in Miami was an appealing reason to join the Heat. During their partnership the duo went on to secure two-successive titles for the Miami outfit. LeBron James and Dwyane Wade went on to forge arguably the best friendship in sports, as now they work out together and vacation together with their wives.