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This former UAE cricketer will never forget Virat Kohli's kind gesture
Ahmed Raza, who was a net bowler for the RCB at the 2020 IPL, is backing Kohli to get a big score in Sunday's Champions Trophy final in Dubai
- PUBLISHED: Sat 8 Mar 2025, 5:38 PM
It’s been almost five years since Ahmed Raza, former UAE cricket captain, spent time with Virat Kohli at the Royal Challengers Bangalore team when the 2020 Indian Premier League (IPL) was held in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah due to Covid-19.
Raza, who was picked as a net bowler by the RCB for the 2020 IPL, still remembers how the Indian superstar worked hard on his game at every net session in Dubai.
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The former left-arm spinner is not surprised by Kohli’s return to form following a poor Test series in Australia.
With an unbeaten hundred against Pakistan and a superb 84 in the semifinal against Australia, Kohli has proved that at 36, he is still good enough to lead India’s batting unit in big matches.
The former Indian captain has not only shown an incredible mental strength to cope with the criticism over his poor performances in the Australia Test series, but he has also worked tirelessly in the net sessions at the ICC Academy in Dubai in an attempt to overcome a few technical issues, especially against the spinners.
Now as India prepare to take on New Zealand in Sunday’s Champions Trophy final at Dubai International Stadium, hoping to end their drought for an ICC trophy in the 50 overs format, Raza will be rooting for Kohli to produce another match-winning knock.
“There's no one who comes close to Kohli when it comes to meticulous planning in training. The pride he takes in his fitness and his running between the wickets and winning games for his country is incredible. I think it’s because of all those factors that he became a big match player,” Raza told the Khaleej Times on Saturday.
Raza, under whose captaincy the UAE qualified for the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia, says training with Kohli at the RCB camp will remain one of the most special moments of his career.
“I think I manifested it, to be able to train with him because I played against him in 2016 at the Asia Cup,” he said, referring to the UAE’s match against India at the continental event.
“So it was always like a thing in the back of my head, I want to train with him, I want to play against him.”
Raza eventually got the big opportunity to train with Kohli when RCB invited him to be one of their net bowlers in the UAE.
“When Covid happened, the IPL was moved to the UAE, and I got into the bubble with the RCB. And when you're in the bubble training together, you tend to spend so much time together, because we used to have team gatherings and all of that,” said Raza who is now the head coach of the UAE women's cricket team.
While it was a dream come true moment for Raza to train with one of the greatest players of all time, it was actually Kohli's humility and kindness that left a big impression on him.
“You know his wife (Bollywood star Anushka Sharma) was there with him at that stage, expecting their first kid, but he still used to make the time out for the players in the team,” Raza said.
“He didn’t know a lot of us, but he would always talk to us about the game. It showed the kind of person he is. He used to make time out and spend time with the players and the other staff at gatherings, and because everyone wanted a piece of him.
“Now I think of all those moments as a fan. But as a cricketer, I learned a lot from him and his work ethic."
Rituraj Borkakoty is Sports Editor and has spent more than two decades writing on his sporting heroes. He also loves an underdog story, so if you have one, share it with him. He would love to bring it to life.