Home
Pakistani spinner Abrar Ahmed found himself at the centre of controversy following his rude send-off to India's star opener Shubman Gill during their Champions Trophy 2025 clash in Dubai.
Abrar Ahmed defends his rude send-off to Shubman Gill during IND vs PAK clash
Abrar Ahmed's animated celebration after dismissing Shubman Gill saw many criticising him for the unwanted send-off. Meanwhile, Abrar Ahmed has defended his behavior after drawing a lot of flak from fans and cricketers alike for what some perceived as an 'arrogant' display.
Pakistan batters surrendered to India's disciplined bowling attack and ended up posting a modest total of 241 runs after winning the toss despite Saud Shakeel's gritty 62. India's bowling attack spearheaded by Kuldeep Yadav's three wickets and Hardik Pandya's two, effectively restricted Pakistan to just 241 runs.
But what caught everyone's eyes was Abrar Ahmed's reaction after dismissing Shubman Gill. The young spinner produced a magical delivery to leave Gill bamboozled. Ahmed's delivery, a sharp leg-break, penetrated Gill's defenses and struck the stumps, which was followed by an aggressive celebration.
Abrar Ahmed's sendoff to Gill was marked by a visible gesture, seemingly directing the Indian opener back to the dressing room.
His delivery denied Gill a half-century, leaving the batsman visibly surprised before he made his exit. Abrar's early spell, which had been economical, conceding only 10 runs in his initial three overs, was punctuated by this crucial dismissal, making a significant impact on the match.
Following the match, a Pakistani journalist relayed Abrar's response to the criticism surrounding his celebration. Abrar reportedly defended his send-off and said that his reaction was not out of the ordinary, asserting that he celebrates wickets in a similar fashion during domestic matches. The journalist also revealed that Abrar had engaged in a heated discussion with an Indian journalist in Dubai, who had challenged him regarding the intensity of his sendoff to Gill during the Champions Trophy encounter.
"The celebration on the wicket of Shubhman Gill is my normal celebration back home as well," Abrar said, as quoted by Pakistani journalist on X.
"Abrar Ahmed had a heated argument with an indian journalist in Dubai. Abrar was criticised by the indian journalist regarding celebration made after taking wicket of Shubhman Gill. #CT25," he added.
India ended up winning the match by six wickets, pushing Pakistan on the verge of early elimination from the Champions Trophy. Pakistan are all but out of the tournament after facing back-to-back defeats against New Zealand and India respectively. Pakistan will expect Bangladesh to beat New Zealand on February 24 and then look to notch a comprehensive win over Bangladesh on February 27. Even then Pakistan's semifinal qualification chances will hinge on NRR, which looks like a far-fetched dream now. Their fate would hinge on the result of the India versus New Zealand match on March 2. A win for India would create a three-way tie between New Zealand, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, all with two points. In this scenario, the team with the superior net run rate would clinch the remaining semi-final spot from Group A, alongside India.
