Kohli stars as Pakistan lose high-stakes Champions Trophy clash against India
Islamabad web desk..Pakistan on verge of exit from tournament after 2nd defeat.Kohli becomes fastest to reach 14,000 runs in 287 innings.Kohli, Iyer formed 114-run partnership for third wicket.
With Virat Kohli’s ton and Shreyas Iyer’s fifty, India grabbed a comfortable win against Pakistan by chasing a modest 242-run target in the high-voltage ICC Champions Trophy 2025 match played at the Dubai Cricket Stadium on Sunday.
Chasing a modest 242-run target, India comfortably knocked the winning runs for the loss of four wickets and 45 balls to spare, thanks to a match-defining 114-run partnership between Kohli and Shreyas Iyer
The former champions got off to a brief flamboyant start to the pursuit as their openers Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill added 31 runs in 29 deliveries until Shaheen Shah Afridi gave Pakistan their first success by bowling the Indian captain on 20.
India’s Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma bump fists during the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 match between Pakistan and India at Dubai Cricket Stadium on February 23, 2025. — Reuters
India’s star batter Kohli then joined Gill in the middle and kept India in control with a 69-run partnership which culminated with the opener’s dismissal in the 18th over.
Gill scored 46 off 52 deliveries with the help of six boundaries.
Kohli then joined forces with Iyer and put India in touching distance to the victory by stitching a 114-run partnership, amid which, both batters scored their respective half-centuries.
The duo appeared in complete control to steer India over the line but Khushdil Shah caused a minor stir by dismissing Iyer, who struck five fours and a six on his way to a 67-ball 56.
India then suffered another blow to their run chase in the next over when Shaheen got Hardik Pandya (eight) caught behind.
The back-to-back blows, however, did not bother India much as Kohli ensured that there were no further hiccups in the run chase.
Virat Kohli remained the top-scorer for India with an unbeaten 100 off 111 balls, laced with seven boundaries.
Kohli has achieved a new feat by completing his 14,000 runs in the ODI format, becoming the third batter after Sachin Tendulkar and Kumara Sangakkara.
He also became the fastest to achieve this milestone in 287 innings, leaving behind Tendulkar who accomplished the figure in 350 and Sangakkara in 378 innings.
For Pakistan, Shaheen picked up two wickets, while Abrar and Khushdil made one scalp apiece.
Opting to bat first, the hosts could accumulate 241 runs before getting bowled out in the final over despite an anchoring half-century by Saud Shakeel.
Pakistan’s new opening pair of Babar Azam and Imam-ul-Haq looked in fine touch as they added 41 runs before Hardik Pandya provided a much-needed breakthrough to India by getting the former caught behind.
Babar scored 23 off 26 deliveries, smashing five boundaries in the process.
Making his return to the national team, Imam could not convert a cautious start into a big knock as he was run out by Axar Patel in the next over, resulting in Pakistan slipping to 47/2 in 9.2 overs.
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