Indian batting maestro Virat Kohli silenced all doubters with a magnificent century, virtually knocking hosts Pakistan out of this year's Champions Trophy. The match, originally slated to be held in Pakistan but moved to Dubai, saw Kohli rewrite personal records with his 51st ODI century, leading India to a six-wicket victory over the defending champions with an unbeaten 100.
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02-24, 2025Kohli once again rose to the occasion in a crucial match of the year's most important tournament, marking another milestone day for himself by becoming the fastest batsman to reach the 14,000 ODI runs milestone in his 287th innings. He joined Sachin Tendulkar and Kumar Sangakkara in the 14,000-run club before winning the game with his seventh boundary off 111 balls.
Kohli guided India to victory at 4-244 in 42.3 overs, making the chase seem routine. Shreyas Iyer (56 off 67 balls) partnered with him in a crucial third-wicket stand, contributing 114 runs off 128 balls. "Over the years, I've understood my game quite well," Kohli said, also acknowledging Shubman Gill's contribution of 46 runs. He stated, "My job is quite clear – control the middle overs, try to chase the seam bowlers, and not take too many risks against the spinners, but keep rotating strike."
Indian captain Rohit Sharma shrugged and said, "The people sitting in the dressing room are not surprised by what he has been doing." Kohli's efforts were aided by an earlier impressive performance from Kuldeep Yadav (3-40), who did his best to ensure that Pakistan, choosing to bat, were dismissed for 241 with two balls remaining. Saud Shakeel scored 62 off 76 balls and shared a 104-run stand with captain Mohammad Rizwan (46), but Pakistan slumped from 2-151 in the 34th over, losing their last eight wickets for just 90 runs.
Kohli even completed his great day by taking two catches, taking his total to 158 and breaking the Indian record of 156 held by Mohammad Azharuddin. The two great rivals met at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium due to India's reluctance to play in their neighboring country's home. Playing on neutral ground clearly did not help Pakistan's efforts, as it lost its second game after being defeated by New Zealand in the first. This means qualification for the semi-finals is now out of its control, as it must hope other results go in its favor.
