Mumbai: A stellar performance from the Indian bowlers, followed by Virat Kohli’s unbeaten century, propelled India to a six-wicket victory over Pakistan in their ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Group A match at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.
After losing the toss for the 12th consecutive time in ODIs—the most by any team in the format—India restricted Pakistan to 241 in 49.4 overs. The Indian team then chased down the target in 42.3 overs, thanks to Kohli’s unbeaten 100 off 111 balls, achieving multiple milestones in the process.
Kohli’s Historic Milestones
With the catch of Naseem Shah in the 47th over, Kohli surpassed former Indian captain Mohammad Azharuddin’s record of 156 catches, becoming the Indian fielder with the most catches in ODI cricket. He also became the fastest batter to reach 14,000 ODI runs, achieving the feat in 63 innings fewer than previous record-holder Sachin Tendulkar.
India’s Dominant Start in Group A
The victory placed India at the top of Group A with four points and a net run rate (NRR) of 0.647. New Zealand, who won their opener against Pakistan, are second with two points and an NRR of 1.200. India will face New Zealand in their next match at the same venue next Sunday.
Match Summary
Pakistan’s innings began positively, with captain Babar Azam scoring 23 before being dismissed by Hardik Pandya in the ninth over. Despite solid partnerships, India’s bowlers struck at crucial moments. Imam-ul-Haq was run out by Axar Patel’s sharp throw at mid-on, reducing Pakistan to 47/2.
A crucial 104-run partnership between Mohammad Rizwan (46 off 77) and Saud Shakeel (62 off 76) took Pakistan to 150/2 in 33 overs. However, three quick wickets in four overs saw Pakistan slump to 167/5. Khushdil Shah provided a late surge with 38 off 39, but the wickets kept tumbling, and Pakistan was bowled out for 241 in the final over. Kuldeep Yadav (3/43) and Hardik Pandya (2/31) were India’s standout bowlers.
India’s Chase
India started aggressively, with Rohit Sharma’s 20 off 15 maintaining a run rate of over six in the first five overs. Though dismissed by Shaheen Afridi in the sixth over, Shubman Gill’s fluent 46 off 52 ensured momentum remained with India. Gill was bowled by Abrar Ahmed in the 18th over, but Shreyas Iyer’s composed 56 off 67 in a 114-run stand with Kohli set up an easy chase.
Pakistan struck late with the wickets of Iyer and Pandya, but Kohli remained unfazed, hitting the winning boundary in the 43rd over to bring up his 82nd century across formats and seal India’s emphatic victory.India now looks ahead to a high-stakes clash against New Zealand, aiming to cement their dominance in the tournament.
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