Pakistan spin bowler Abrar Ahmed shared an emotional tribute to Virat Kohli on social media after the blockbuster Champions Trophy match against India, calling the Indian cricketer his “childhood hero.”

“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 said in an Instagram post.

The post included a memorable moment from the February 23 match, where Abrar faced backlash for his dramatic send-off to Shubman Gill after a remarkable delivery. But Kohli demonstrated sportsmanship by approaching Abrar after his bowling spell to shake hands and commend his efforts.

Ahmed stood out as Pakistan’s leading bowler, finishing with impressive figures of 1 for 28.

Kohli delivered a stellar performance in last week’s Champions Trophy blockbuster match against Pakistan, scoring an unbeaten 100 and leading his team to a six-wicket victory. The century marked Kohli’s 51st in one-day internationals, his fourth against Pakistan, and his first in the Champions Trophy. With this achievement, he also became the fastest player in history to reach 14,000 runs in ODI cricket.

It was Pakistan’s second defeat in the 50-over tournament, which resulted in their eviction from the semifinals. It was confirmed when Bangladesh lost to New Zealand.

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Pakistan is hosting an ICC tournament for the first time in nearly three decades since the 1996 ODI World Cup, which they co-hosted with India and Sri Lanka.

India, however, refused to tour Pakistan due to political reasons and are playing all their matches at the Dubai International Stadium.

“We are disappointed, yes, because a defeat brings a tough day, facing difficult things and lots of questions,” said skipper Mohammad Rizwan after the match. “Abrar Ahmed’s bowling was a positive but we made mistakes in all three departments.”