Virat Kohli’s brilliant century and India’s disciplined bowling attack led them to a commanding six-wicket victory over Pakistan in their ICC Champions Trophy group-stage match in Dubai on Sunday.
Chasing a target of 242, India comfortably reached the total in 42.3 overs, with Kohli remaining unbeaten on 100 off 111 balls to guide them to victory.
Pakistan, after choosing to bat first, couldn’t capitalize on a strong start and was restricted to 241 all out in 49.4 overs.
Captain Mohammad Rizwan (46) and Saud Shakeel (62) put up a crucial 104-run stand for the third wicket, but India’s bowlers never allowed Pakistan to break free.
Hardik Pandya (2 for 31) and Kuldeep Yadav (3 for 40) kept the scoring in check, while Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja chipped in with a wicket each.
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Pakistan had aimed for 280 but faltered in the final overs, losing their last five wickets for just 41 runs. Khushdil Shah’s 38 off 39 balls added some late runs, but the lack of acceleration in the middle overs proved costly.
“We wanted to get 280, but their bowlers did really well in the middle overs,” Rizwan admitted.
India’s chase got off to a positive start despite losing Rohit Sharma for 20, bowled by Shaheen Shah Afridi in the fifth over. Shubman Gill (46) played fluently before falling to Abrar Ahmed, leaving India at 100 for 2 in the 18th over.
From there, it was all about Kohli. The former captain controlled the chase with his trademark precision.
He reached his century in 111 balls, guiding India to victory with 45 balls to spare.
“It feels good to bat in that manner in an important game where a semi-final spot was there to be taken,” Kohli said. “My job was clear – to control the middle overs and take on the pacers. I was happy with the template, it’s how I play in ODIs.”
India restrict Pakistan to 241 in Champions Trophy clash
During his knock, Kohli became the fastest batter to reach 14,000 ODI runs, achieving the milestone in just 287 innings, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 350 innings. He also completed 158 catches in ODIs, surpassing Mohammad Azharuddin (156) to become India’s all-time leading fielder in the format.
Indian captain Rohit Sharma credited his bowlers for setting up the win.
“We started superbly with the ball. We knew the wicket could get slower but backed our experienced batters to chase 240,” he said. “Credit goes to Kuldeep, Axar, Jadeja—all of them have played a lot. Rizwan and Saud stitched a good stand, so it was important not to let the game drift. Not to forget how Shami, Hardik, and Harshit bowled as well.”
Speaking about Kohli’s knock, Rohit said, “Virat loves representing the country, doing what he does best. Nobody inside the dressing room is surprised with what he did today.”
For Pakistan, the loss proved ongoing concerns with their batting and fielding.
“We won the toss but didn’t get the benefit. We made a lot of mistakes today, and they’ve been repeated. We need to improve,” Rizwan said. He also pointed out how Kohli and Gill’s partnership took the game away from them, despite Abrar Ahmed’s breakthrough.