Indian cricket fans in awe as Pakistani crowd cheers for Virat Kohli’s century

Indian cricket fans were taken aback by a viral video from Islamabad showing Pakistani supporters celebrating Indian batter Virat Kohli’s century. Many noted that if a similar celebration had taken place in India for a Pakistani player, it would have sparked outrage.

The high-voltage Pakistan vs India Champions Trophy clash on Sunday at the Dubai International Stadium saw rare unity between cricket enthusiasts from both nations, as many Pakistanis praised India’s commendable batting and bowling performance.

However, while Pakistani fans were left utterly disappointed by their team’s lackluster gameplay and humiliating loss to India, they did not hold back in cheering for Kohli, who enjoys immense popularity in Pakistan.

Kohli notched up his 51st century and became the fastest batter to complete 41,000 runs in ODI cricket, breaking a record previously held by cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar.

Read: Virat Kohli's heartfelt gesture wins heart after century against Pakistan

In addition, Kohli set a domestic record for the most catches by an Indian cricketer, surpassing Mohammad Azharuddin with 158 catches in his 299th ODI match.

Kohli enjoys a massive fan following, not just in India but also in Pakistan, thanks to his exceptional cricketing career and captivating performances on the field.

A viral video circulating on social media showed several Pakistani cricket fans in Islamabad celebrating and applauding Kohli’s century against their own team.

This display of unconditional love for cricket and sportsmanship won praise from many Indians, who lamented that such gestures of appreciation are rare in India due to rising communal tensions.

“Pakistanis are celebrating Kohli's century. But in India, if someone even posts on Social Media or keep WhatsApp Status about Babar, First a Police case is filed, and then the threat of NSA, PSA, UAPA, and sedition looms over them,” an Indian said on X. 

“Now imagine any Indian doing the same for Babar Azam century. The Govt. will slap NSA on them and bulldoze their house,” another X user said. 

“This is such a beautiful sight. The freedom to celebrate anyone. India used to be like this once. Not anymore. Sigh,” Indian RJ artist Sayema said.