Mohammad Irfan recalls a light-hearted Virat Kohli moment

Former Pakistan pacer Mohammad Irfan has shared a humorous behind-the-scenes story involving India great Virat Kohli, offering fans a glimpse of cricket’s lighter side beyond the boundary ropes.

The towering left-arm pacer was asked to recall an incident involving Kohli that he would never forget. Smiling, Irfan said there were many such moments, but one in particular still makes him laugh.

Irfan explained that although he made his international debut in 2010, the incident took place after his return to the national side during a match against India.

Before facing him, Kohli was heard asking a coach or staff member about Irfan’s bowling.

“Virat asked what kind of bowler this guy is,” Irfan recalled. “The coach told him he bowls around 130 to 135 kilometres per hour — that he’s just tall — and that Virat would be able to play him comfortably.”

What followed, however, was very different.

“When the match started, my first ball clocked 146 kph. The second was 147, and the third was 148,” Irfan said, drawing laughter from the studio audience.

The former Pakistan bowler said he could not repeat Kohli’s exact words on air, but revealed that the Indian batter jokingly lashed out at the staff member for misleading him.

“He abused the staff member and said, ‘You told me he’s a medium-fast bowler — this guy is bowling close to 150!’” Irfan said, as the host and audience burst into laughter.

The anecdote has since gone viral on social media, delighting cricket fans in Pakistan and India alike.