Pakistan’s spin bowler Abrar Ahmed shared a heartfelt tribute to Indian cricket star Virat Kohli, calling him his “childhood hero” in an emotional social media post. The message came after their encounter in the ICC Champions Trophy match between India and Pakistan in Dubai.
In an Instagram post, Abrar expressed his admiration for Kohli’s humility and sportsmanship. “Bowling to my childhood hero, Virat Kohli. Grateful for his appreciation—his greatness as a cricketer is only matched by his humility as a person. A true inspiration on and off the field!” he wrote.
Shubman Gill send-off controversy
The post featured a viral moment from the February 23 match, where Kohli acknowledged Abrar’s impressive performance despite the young spinner receiving criticism for his animated send-off after dismissing Shubman Gill. At the end of Abrar’s spell, Kohli shook his hand and praised his efforts. The 25-year-old spinner delivered a strong performance, finishing with figures of 1 for 28.
Kohli reaches 300-ODI milestone
Meanwhile, Kohli reached a major career milestone on Sunday, becoming the seventh Indian cricketer to play 300 ODIs. He achieved this feat during India’s Champions Trophy 2025 group-stage match against New Zealand in Dubai.
Kohli now joins an elite group of Indian cricketers, including MS Dhoni (347 ODIs), Rahul Dravid (340), Mohammad Azharuddin, Sourav Ganguly, and Yuvraj Singh, all of whom have surpassed the 300-match mark in ODIs.