Former Pakistan captain and wicketkeeper Sarfaraz Ahmed has retired from international cricket. In a statement issued by the PCB on March 15, 2026, Sarfaraz said goodbye to his long career, which included winning the 2017 Champions Trophy and captaining the 2006 Under-19 World Cup. This decision has come a few days after his new role in Pakistan Cricket Board. It is believed that he is going to become the head coach of the Test team. However, amid all this, it is also being claimed that Virat Kohli has congratulated Sarfaraz on his brilliant career and retirement by sharing a story on his Instagram account.
Post went viral on social media
Actually, a screenshot of an Instagram story is going viral on social media, in which it is being claimed that Virat Kohli has congratulated Sarfaraz on his retirement. According to the viral screenshot, Virat praised Sarfaraz’s brilliant career, passion for Pakistan and strong leadership, especially remembering the 2017 Champions Trophy final and wished him all the best for the journey ahead.
Virat. Open message for Sarfaraz Ahmed. pic.twitter.com/lofhCbpKxT
— Talha Nawaz (@TalhaDigital007) March 15, 2026
But this is a fake post. Virat Kohli has not shared any such story or post. The viral image is edited, which has been made to spread rumors on social media. No such congratulations have been found on Virat’s official Instagram account. This rumor spread quickly with the news of his retirement as both the cricketers have had memorable rivalries like the 2017 Champions Trophy final, where Pakistan defeated India.
Sarfaraz’s brilliant career
Sarfaraz had a brilliant career, he led Pakistan to the ICC trophy, which no captain after Imran Khan had been able to do. Sarfaraz also captained Pakistan in 100 matches. He played a total of 232 international matches for Pakistan and scored 6164 runs. This included 6 centuries and 35 half-centuries. For the last few months, he was playing the role of mentor in Pakistan cricket. At the same time, he is now in the race to become the head coach.