The much-anticipated India vs. Pakistan clash in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 lived up to the hype, but only for a while. India showcased their class with both bat and ball, securing a commanding six-wicket victory at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Virat Kohli, the man for the big occasions, once again delivered a masterclass, scoring his 51st ODI century to guide India home.
India’s Bowlers Set the Tone
Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat first, hoping to post a challenging total. However, India’s disciplined bowling attack, led by Hardik Pandya and Kuldeep Yadav, ensured that Pakistan never gained full control. Despite a few promising partnerships, Pakistan crumbled from 151/2 to being bowled out for 241 in 49.4 overs.
- Hardik Pandya’s All-Round Brilliance: Pandya was instrumental in dismissing Pakistan’s key batsmen, including captain Babar Azam. His clever variations and short-of-a-length deliveries made scoring difficult.
- Kuldeep Yadav’s Magic: The left-arm wrist-spinner bamboozled Pakistan’s middle order, picking up crucial wickets at the death and preventing a late flourish.
- Harshit Rana’s Impact: The young pacer’s slower deliveries proved to be unplayable, ensuring Pakistan’s lower order couldn’t capitalize.
Pakistan’s Inconsistent Batting Effort
Pakistan’s innings started on a positive note, with Babar Azam looking fluent. However, frequent batting collapses derailed their momentum:
- Mohammad Rizwan’s Slow Knock: Despite an initial boundary, Rizwan struggled for fluency, scoring 46 off 77 balls before falling to Axar Patel.
- Saud Shakeel’s Fighting Fifty: Shakeel’s 62 off 76 balls was the lone highlight in an otherwise faltering batting display.
- Collapse in the Death Overs: From a stable 165/5, Pakistan lost wickets in quick succession, ending up 40-50 runs short of a competitive total.
Kohli’s Brilliance in the Chase
India’s chase was steady and clinical, with Shubman Gill providing early fireworks before Virat Kohli took control:
- Shubman Gill’s Aggression: Gill played with intent, smashing Afridi for boundaries before falling to Abrar Ahmed’s sharp turner.
- Shreyas Iyer’s Steady Knock: Supporting Kohli, Iyer played a composed innings, ensuring no middle-order jitters.
- Virat Kohli’s Record-Breaking Night: Kohli reached multiple milestones, including 14,000 ODI runs (fastest ever) and 156 catches in ODIs, surpassing Mohammad Azharuddin. His unbeaten 100 off 111 balls sealed India’s win with ease.
India Tops Group A, Pakistan’s Qualification in Jeopardy
With this victory, India now leads Group A with four points and a healthy net run rate (NRR) of 0.647. Pakistan, on the other hand, faces an uphill task to stay in contention for the semi-finals, relying on other results to go their way.
What’s Next?
India will now face New Zealand in their next encounter, a match that could determine their semi-final berth. Pakistan, meanwhile, must regroup and hope for a miraculous turnaround to stay in the hunt for the Champions Trophy 2025.
For now, though, it’s India who reigns supreme, and Virat Kohli remains the king of the chase!
