Pakistan's Abrar Ahmed pens note for Virat Kohli after controversial send off to Shubman Gill in Champions Trophy clash

Abrar Ahmed pens note for Virat Kohli. (Photo: X/JioHotstar)

Pakistan's spin bowler, Abrar Ahmed, shared an emotional tribute to Virat Kohli on social media, calling the Indian cricket star his "childhood hero." His heartfelt post came just days after their encounter in the Champions Trophy match between India and Pakistan in Dubai.

Taking to Instagram, Abrar was in awe of Kohli's humility as he called him a 'true inspiration.' The caption read: "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!"

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A post shared by Abrar Ahmed (@abrarahmedpak01)

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Abrar also included a viral moment from the February 23 match, where he and Kohli shared a sportsmanship-filled exchange. The young spinner had faced criticism for his animated send-off after dismissing Shubman Gill with a stunning delivery. However, at the end of his spell, Kohli approached Abrar, shook his hand, and acknowledged his performance. Abrar was Pakistan's standout bowler, delivering an economical spell of 1 for 28.

Watch - Abrar Ahmed gives Shubman Gill fiery send-off during IND vs PAK Champions Trophy clash, Virat Kohli shocked with dismissal

Another day another record for Kohli

Virat Kohli reached another milestone on Sunday, becoming the seventh Indian cricketer to play 300 ODIs. He achieved this feat during India's ICC Champions Trophy 2025 group stage clash against New Zealand in Dubai, which marked the final match of the tournament's group phase. (Follow | IND vs NZ Live Score Champions Trophy 2025)

Kohli's idol Sachin Tendulkar tops the list with 463 matches, which is the most by any player in the history of the sport. Apart from Kohli and Tendulkar, former India captains MS Dhoni, Rahul Dravid, Mohammad Azharuddin, Sourav Ganguly and 2007 and 2011 World Cup hero Yuvraj Singh have played over 300 ODIs. Dhoni with 347 matches is second in the list of most matches for India in ODIs, and he is followed by Dravid, who has 340.