Pakistan’s Abrar Ahmed, who faced criticism for his send-off to Shubman Gill, honored Virat Kohli ahead of Kohli’s 300th ODI appearance. In a heartfelt post, Abrar called Kohli his childhood hero, praising his cricketing greatness and personal humility. In the recent Champions Trophy match, India triumphed over Pakistan, with Kohli scoring the winning runs and claiming his 51st ODI century. Kohli, who aims to become the seventh Indian to reach 300 ODIs, has 14,085 runs at an average of 58.20, including 51 centuries. His journey to find form continues, especially following a lackluster Test series in Australia.
Pakistan’s star, Abrar Ahmed, who faced criticism for his send-off to India batter Shubman Gill during the Champions Trophy encounter, has paid a heartfelt tribute to Virat Kohli. As ‘King Kohli’ prepares to play his 300th ODI for India in the Champions Trophy match against New Zealand this Sunday, Abrar shared a touching post, referring to him as his childhood hero. “Bowling to my childhood hero Virat Kohli. I am grateful for his appreciation—his greatness as a cricketer is matched only by his humility as a person. He is a true inspiration on and off the field!” Abrar expressed in his post.
In the much-anticipated Indo-Pak clash in the Champions Trophy, Rohit Sharma’s side claimed victory, with Kohli sealing the win and bringing up his 51st hundred in the format. For Pakistan, it was another lackluster performance, with Abrar being the standout player, achieving figures of 1/28.
Virat is on the brink of achieving yet another milestone. If selected in the playing XI for the final group stage match against the Kiwis in Dubai on Sunday, he will become the seventh Indian player to reach the 300 ODI appearance mark.
Discussions around Virat’s declining form leading into the Champions Trophy were rampant. After a dismal Test tour in Australia, he showed hints of regaining his form during the three ODIs against England, although it didn’t fully quell his critics.
Following a modest 22(38) in India’s Champions Trophy opener against Bangladesh, Virat’s anticipated return to form finally materialized in the crucial match against arch-rival Pakistan in Dubai.
The atmosphere echoed with memories of his remarkable T20 World Cup 2022 performance in Melbourne against the Men in Green. With a beautifully executed shot, Virat struck the winning runs, celebrated his 51st ODI century, and became the fastest player to reach 14,000 ODI runs.
In his 299 ODIs to date, Virat has amassed 14,085 runs at an impressive average of 58.20 and a strike rate of 93.41, including 51 centuries and 73 fifties, with a personal best score of 193.
With ANI Inputs
Topics mentioned in this article