India vs Pakistan HIGHLIGHTS, Champions Trophy 2025: Virat Kohli’s Century Powers India to Victory

Another day, another century for Virat Kohli! In a masterclass run-chase, the Indian batting maestro guided his team to a six-wicket victory over arch-rivals Pakistan in the Champions Trophy 2025. The Dubai International Stadium bore witness to yet another Kohli special, as he also surpassed the milestone of 14,000 ODI runs in just 287 innings.

India’s Chase – Kohli Shines Bright

Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma gave India a fiery start after a quiet first over. However, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Abrar Ahmed struck in quick succession, dismissing Rohit and Gill, respectively. Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer then stabilized the innings, with Iyer capitalizing on a dropped chance to notch up a fifty. Kohli, the chase master, brought up his 51st ODI century with a boundary, steering India to the target of 242 with 45 balls to spare.

Key Highlights of India’s Innings:

• Kohli’s 51st ODI century leads India to a six-wicket win.
• Shreyas Iyer scores a crucial half-century before being dismissed by Khushdil Shah.
• Gill and Kohli build a strong partnership, taking India past the 100-run mark.
• Shaheen Afridi cleans up Rohit Sharma with a stunning in-swinging yorker.
• India successfully chases down 242 in just 42.3 overs.

Pakistan’s Innings – Struggles Against India’s Bowling Attack

Batting first, Pakistan struggled to put up a competitive total, managing only 241 runs. Hardik Pandya set the tone by dismissing Babar Azam early, while Axar Patel’s brilliant fielding sent Imam-ul-Haq back to the pavilion. Mohammad Rizwan and Saud Shakeel stitched a century-run partnership, but once that was broken, Pakistan lost wickets in quick succession. Kuldeep Yadav’s magical spell (3/40) and Hardik Pandya’s disciplined bowling (2/31) ensured that Pakistan never fully recovered.

Key Highlights of Pakistan’s Innings:

• Pakistan bowled out for 241 in 49.3 overs.
• Rizwan and Shakeel’s century partnership kept Pakistan in the game before Axar Patel and Jadeja struck.
• Kuldeep Yadav took two wickets in consecutive balls, removing Salman Agha and Shaheen Afridi.
• Hardik Pandya dismissed Babar Azam early, shifting momentum in India’s favor.
• Harshit Rana bowled a brilliant last over, dismissing Khushdil Shah and conceding no runs.

Match Summary:

• Pakistan: 241 all out (Rizwan 63, Shakeel 52; Kuldeep 3/40, Pandya 2/31)
• India: 242/4 in 42.3 overs (Kohli 102*, Iyer 56; Afridi 2/45, Abrar 1/38)

Playing XIs:

India: Rohit Sharma(c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul(w), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav

Pakistan: Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan(w/c), Salman Agha, Tayyab Tahir, Khushdil Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed

Conclusion

India’s clinical performance in both bowling and batting ensured a commanding victory over Pakistan. With Kohli at the helm, India once again demonstrated their dominance in run-chases. Stay tuned for more updates on the Champions Trophy 2025.