Champions Trophy 2025: Ton-up Virat Kohli leads the charge as India demolish Pakistan in one-sided affair

TOI Sports Desk / TIMESOFINDIA.COM / Updated: Feb 23, 2025, 22:27 IST

Text Size

Small
Medium
Large

Virat Kohli's unbeaten century powered India to a comfortable victory over Pakistan in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Group A clash. Chasing 242, India achieved the target with six wickets in hand. Kuldeep Yadav's 3/40 helped restrict Pakistan to 241, while Kohli's 100 not out ensured India's dominance in the tournament.

Champions Trophy 2025: Ton-up Virat Kohli leads the charge as India demolish Pakistan in one-sided affair

India's Virat Kohli celebrates (PTI Photo)

NEW DELHI: Indian batting stalwart Virat Kohli delivered a masterclass -- powered by a century -- as India crushed Pakistan in a one-sided ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Group A clash at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.
Chasing a modest target of 242, India eased to victory with six wickets in hand.
Opting to bat first, Pakistan got off to a shaky start as Babar Azam (23) edged Hardik Pandya to KL Rahul in the ninth over.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel.

Imam-ul-Haq (10) was run out soon after, leaving Pakistan struggling at 47/2. A resilient 104-run stand between Saud Shakeel (62) and skipper Mohammad Rizwan (46) stabilised the innings, but India’s bowlers struck back strongly.
Axar Patel removed Rizwan in the 35th over, and Shakeel followed soon after, falling to Hardik Pandya. Wickets continued to tumble as Tayyab Tahir (4), Salman Agha (19), and Shaheen Afridi (0) departed cheaply, leaving Pakistan at 200/7 in the 43rd over.
A late fightback from Khushdil Shah (38) pushed the total to 241, but it was never enough against India’s dominant batting lineup.

Kuldeep Yadav (3/40) was the pick of the Indian bowlers, while Pandya (2/31), Axar Patel, and Ravindra Jadeja made crucial breakthroughs to restrict Pakistan.
India’s chase began on a solid note, with captain Rohit Sharma (20) providing a brisk start before being dismissed by Shaheen Afridi.
Shubman Gill anchored the innings with a well-crafted 46 before falling to Abrar Ahmed.
However, it was Virat Kohli’s sublime knock of 100 not out that stole the show.
Displaying impeccable timing and composure, Kohli ensured India never lost control of the chase. He found an able partner in Shreyas Iyer (56), who played an attacking knock before falling to Khushdil Shah.

Champions Trophy 2025: India, Pakistan apply final touches before blockbuster

Hardik Pandya’s quick cameo (8) ended with Rizwan taking a sharp catch off Shaheen Afridi, but Kohli remained unbeaten, guiding India home comfortably.
Axar Patel (3 not out) was at the other end as Kohli wrapped up the chase with a boundary to complete his deserving century against the arch-rivals.
With this emphatic victory, India have put one foot in the tournament’s semi-finals, further asserting their dominance in the competition.

About the Author

TOI Sports Desk

The TOI Sports Desk excels in a myriad of roles that capture the essence of live sporting events and deliver compelling content to readers worldwide. From running live blogs for India and non-India cricket matches to global spectacles featuring Indian talents, like the Chess World Cup final featuring Praggnanandhaa and the Badminton World Championships semifinal featuring HS Prannoy, our live coverage extends to all mega sporting events. We extensively cover events like the Olympics, Asian Games, Cricket World Cups, FIFA World Cups, and more. The desk is also adept at writing comprehensive match reports and insightful post-match commentary, complemented by stats-based articles that provide an in-depth analysis of player performances and team dynamics. We track news wires for key stories, conduct exclusive player interviews in both text and video formats, and file content from print editions and reporters. We keep track of all viral stories, trending topics and produce our own copies on the subjects. We deliver accurate, engaging, and up-to-the-minute sports content, round the clock.

End of Article