With his 51st ODI century, Virat Kohli stunned the Dubai audience as India defeated Pakistan by six wickets. With 7.3 overs remaining, India easily chased down 242, and they have virtually guaranteed their place in the Champions Trophy 2025 semi-finals. Pakistan is in danger of being eliminated.
With Kohli (100*), Shreyas Iyer (56), and Shubman Gill (46) spearheading the run chase, Pakistan’s total of 241 proved to be insufficient. Kuldeep Yadav was outstanding with the ball, scoring 3/40. India’s record versus Pakistan in the ODI format is at 6-0, meaning they haven’t lost since the 2017 Champions Trophy final.
By leading India’s chase of 242 against Pakistan in Dubai, Kohli celebrated 14,000 runs in ODI cricket and surpassed the great Sachin Tendulkar to become the fastest Indian batsman to reach the milestone. More significantly, after Shubman Gill was fired, Kohli and Shreyas Iyer put up a century partnership to make sure India didn’t falter.
Shubman Gill had assumed the role of India captain after Rohit Sharma had taken a temporary leave of absence. And he did an amazing job. Because of how tight Axar and Hardik bowled, it took Pakistan 32 balls to register their first boundary since the previous one. Mohammed Shami bowled just two overs before the Indian pacer complained of leg strain, giving India a worry about injuries earlier. Shami finished the over after the physio examined him closely, but he left the field to receive medical attention. This came after he gave up five wides in an 11-ball over to start the Indian innings.
