Abrar Ahmed breaks silence on 'arrogant' send-off to Shubman Gill, clashes with Indian journalist

Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed faced criticism from Indian journalists and fans over his animated sendoff to Indian opener Shubman Gill during the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 match. However, Abrar Ahmed defended his actions after netizens mocked him on social media platforms for his 'arrogant' sendoff.

Pakistan scored 241 runs after winning the toss at Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday, February 23. Saud Shakeel was the top scorer for Pakistan with 62 runs. Mohammad Rizwan scored 46, while Khushdil Shah added 38. For India, Kuldeep Yadav took three wickets, while Hardik Pandya secured two.

Abrar Ahmed Criticized for ‘Arrogant’ Sendoff to Shubman Gill in IND vs PAK Clash

Abrar Ahmed grabbed attention early in India's chase during the Champions Trophy match. The young Pakistan spinner impressed with his bowling against Indian batters. He dismissed Shubman Gill in the 18th over with a sharp leg-break that breached the batter’s defense and shattered the stumps.

Abrar gestured toward Gill, seemingly signaling him to return to the pavilion. The leg-spinner’s delivery denied Gill a well-earned half-century. The dismissal left the batter stunned before he walked off. Abrar, who had conceded just 10 runs in his first three overs, made an impact with his breakthrough wicket.

The leg spinner faced backlash online as fans mocked him and created memes about his sendoff to Shubman Gill.

Abrar Ahmed Defends His Celebration After Dismissing Shubman Gill

After the match, a Pakistani journalist shared Abrar’s response to the criticism over his celebration after dismissing Shubman Gill. Abrar reportedly stated that his reaction was nothing unusual and that he celebrates in a similar manner back home as well.

The journalist also mentioned that Abrar had a heated exchange with an Indian journalist in Dubai, who questioned his animated send-off to Gill during the Champions Trophy match.

"The celebration on the wicket of Shubhman Gill is my normal celebration back home as well," Abrar said, as quoted by a user on X (formerly known as Twitter).

"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.

"The celebration on the wicket of Shubhman Gill is my normal celebration back home aswell."

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

— Arfa Feroz Zake (@ArfaSays_) February 24, 2025

Abrar Ahmed is the only specialist spinner in Pakistan squad for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025

The 26-year-old cricketer is the only specialist spinner in Pakistan squad for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. He struggled to take wickets in the team’s first two matches.

He managed just one wicket in the tournament opener against New Zealand, where Pakistan suffered a 60-run defeat. Abrar finished with bowling figures of 10-0-47-1. He was economical against India, finishing with figures of 1/28, but his performance did not significantly influence the game.

With back-to-back losses, Pakistan are now on the brink of elimination. To keep their semi-final hopes alive, they must secure a dominant win over Bangladesh in their final Group A match while relying on favorable results from other games.

Also read: Hardik Pandya was 'really angry' at Gautam Gambhir's favorite in IND vs PAK clash, reveals Axar Patel