India secured a dominant win over arch-rivals Pakistan in front of a packed crowd in Dubai, booking their spot in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 semi-finals. With this defeat, Pakistan, the official host, was knocked out of the tournament.
Before the match, there were doubts about Virat Kohli’s form. But the star batter silenced his critics in style, scoring a fighting century against his favorite opponent.
Indian Bowlers Shine, Pakistan Struggles
Pakistan won the toss and chose to bat first, but they couldn’t build a strong total. They were restricted to just 241 runs as Indian bowlers kept things tight, striking at regular intervals. Every bowler played their part, never allowing Pakistan’s batters to settle.
Confident Batting Display
India started their chase on a strong note, with captain Rohit Sharma playing a quickfire knock and hitting some delightful shots before being bowled by Shaheen Afridi.
Virat Kohli joined Shubman Gill, and the duo built a crucial 71-run partnership. Gill looked in good touch but fell just four runs short of a fifty, scoring 46. After his dismissal, in-form Shreyas Iyer took charge, playing a solid innings of 56 runs. Kohli and Iyer put together a match-defining 114-run stand, frustrating the Pakistani bowlers and steering India closer to victory.
In the end, Virat Kohli sealed the win in style with a boundary, bringing up his century at the same time. As the ball raced to the fence, he soaked in the applause, acknowledging the crowd for their support. His brilliant knock played a key role in India’s victory over Pakistan.
Match Summary:
Pakistan: 241 all out in 49.4 overs
(Saud Shakeel 62, Mohammad Rizwan 46, Khushdil Shah 38; Hardik Pandya 2/31, Kuldeep Yadav 3/40)
India: 244/4 in 42.3 overs
(Virat Kohli 100* , Shubman Gill 46, Shreyas Iyer 56; Abrar Ahmed 1/28)
