Abrar Ahmed was at the center of attention for Pakistan during the Champions Trophy clash against India, where he dismissed Shubman Gill with an impressive carrom ball. However, his celebration after the wicket was met with criticism, including from Pakistan cricket legend Wasim Akram.
During Pakistan's tour of New Zealand, a young fan confronted Abrar Ahmed about his celebration in a viral video. The fan asked him why he celebrated so dramatically after dismissing Shubman Gill, to which Abrar laughed and walked away.
The match was highly intense, especially since Shubman Gill took control of the game after Pakistan's lackluster performance with the bat. Abrar Ahmed was the only bowler able to contain him, ultimately leading to Gill's dismissal with what commentators referred to as the "Ball of the Tournament." This success prompted Abrar's controversial celebration, which received backlash. When asked about the moment, he stated,
“That's my style, and I see nothing wrong with it. No official told me that I did anything wrong, but if it hurt anyone, I am sorry for that. It was not my intention to hurt anyone,” the spinner told Telecom Asia Sport.
Despite Abrar's efforts, Pakistan ended up losing the match, with Virat Kohli scoring a record century to secure India's victory and knock Pakistan out of the tournament.
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Abrar Ahmed also mentioned that he teased Kohli during the match, urging him to clear the boundary against the spinners on that pitch. He expressed deep respect for the veteran player, sharing that it was a childhood dream for him to bowl to Virat Kohli.
“My childhood dream of bowling to Kohli has come true in Dubai,” he said. “It was a great challenge, and I took the liberty of teasing him by asking him to hit me for a six, but he never got angry. Kohli is a great batter, and we all know that. But he is a great human being, too.”
He later added that Virat Kohli praised him for his bowling after the match.
