Virat Kohli is not only an undisputed Indian legend but also an ambassador for the game with his fitness, hard work and sheer eagerness to play tough no matter the circumstances. Virat Kohli’s style of play has long been appreciated not only by Indian fans, but also by fans across the border, and the India-Pakistan match in Dubai was yet another testament to that.
While Virat Kohli’s exhilarating knock ensured that India were on course for victory, there were still doubts as to whether the ‘King’ of Indian cricket would be able to end his rough patch with a century with limited runs left to score. As it turned out, Kohli ended the match – as he has done so many times in the past – by stepping down and hitting a boundary on the off-side, but what made it special was that Kohli not only helped his team to victory, but also scored his 51st ODI century.
While everyone from the Indian dressing room to the fans in the stadium were over the moon, there were some people who were celebrating Kohli’s century for purely cricketing reasons. In a video shared on X (formerly Twitter), some people in Pakistan cheer loudly as Kohli completes his century by bowling to Khushdil Shah. While this isn’t the first instance of Virat Kohli fandom in Pakistan – and it certainly won’t be the last – it’s still a heartwarming scene to see support for a global icon, regardless of political tensions and the team playing.
India thrash Pakistan by 6 wickets:
After opting to bat first in Dubai, Pakistan faced some early dismissals that derailed their innings. While Pakistan skipper Mohammad Rizwan and Saud Shakeel managed to stabilize the innings for a while, the Pakistan downfall started after their dismissals. Kuldeep Yadav turned particularly hazardous for the Pakistani lower order as he picked 3 wickets while Hardik Pandya also impressed with his slower ones, picking in 2 wickets. Pakistan were eventually bowled out for a score of 242 which India were able to chase down with 7.3 overs left in the bank thanks to the marvellous century by Kohli and a half century by Shreyas Iyer.
