'Just stared at ceiling till 5 am, thought my career is over' - Virat Kohli on CT 2009 match against Pakistan, backs Arshdeep Singh

Pakistan defeated India in a dramatic encounter on Sunday, September 4 at the Dubai International Stadium. The match ebbed and flowed and turned into a boxing bout as the arch-rivals exchanged blows after blows. But the biggest talking point after the game was Arsdeep Singh's clanger, dropping Asif Ali in the 18th over, who later went on to punish the Indian bowlers. Former Indian skipper Virat Kohli came to the aid of the young Indian pacer in the presser after the thrilling encounter.

With the match hanging by a thread, India skipper Rohit Sharma tossed the bowl to young leggie Ravi Bishnoi, who was playing his first game of the tournament. The leg spinner had excelled in his three overs so far but was under pressure in the 18th over against two hard-hitting Pakistani batters. But the canny bowler outfoxed Asif Ali, who mistimed his shot, only for Arshdeep Singh to drop a dolly at short third man.

Former Indian skipper Virat Kohli backed Arshdeep in the presser after the match and shared a similar incident from his younger days when he was dismissed playing a poor shot against Pakistan in the 2009 Champions Trophy. 

"Anyone can make mistakes under pressure. It is a big game and the situation was also tight. I remember when I played my first game against Pakistan in the Champions Trophy, I played a bad shot against Shahid Afridi and got out, I couldn't sleep and be just staring at the ceiling till 5 in the morning. I thought I was never going to play again. It is natural to feel bad," Kohli said in a statement to the reporters.

Rohit Sharma also came up with a furious reaction at the young pacer in the aftermath of the drop but backed him to do the job in the final over. Arshdeep Singh bowled an exceptional final over, but the damage was already done, and Pakistan got home on the penultimate delivery of the match.