Virat Kohli’s century propels India to a six-wicket triumph over Pakistan in Dubai, placing their arch-rivals on the verge of elimination from the Champions Trophy.
Virat Kohli’s undefeated century spearheaded India’s six-wicket victory against long-standing rivals Pakistan in their Group A showdown at the Champions Trophy. This win jeopardizes Pakistan’s chances of advancing further in the tournament, potentially leading to an early elimination.
In his quest to extend his record, Kohli notched his 51st century and brought his ODI innings tally to 14,000. India finished their innings with 244-4 in 42.3 overs on Sunday.
Shreyas Iyer’s contribution of 56 runs from 67 balls paired with Kohli’s form helped to build a substantial 114-run partnership for the third wicket.
Kuldeep Yadav shone with the ball, taking 3-40, as Pakistan was bowled out for just 241 runs across 49.4 overs after winning the toss and electing to bat.
India’s Virat Kohli takes a swing as Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan looks on. Pakistan’s Saud Shakeel led the scoring with 62 off 76 balls, sharing a 104-run stand with captain Mohammad Rizwan, who contributed 46 runs.
Kohli, awarded player of the match, reached his milestone off 111 deliveries.
“It feels good to bat in such a manner, especially in such an important game where a spot for the semis was available,” he said in a post-match interview.
“We had to control the middle overs and avoid taking risks against the spinners while being aggressive against the pacers. I was happy with the strategy. It reflects how I play in ODIs.”
Pakistan’s Saud Shakeel plays a shot as India’s wicketkeeper KL Rahul watches. The match took place at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, with India being based in the United Arab Emirates for their group stage and potential knockout matches, despite Pakistan being the host nation for the tournament.
Looking ahead, Pakistan’s prospects hinge on an improbable sequence of results across the remaining group-stage matches.
Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan commented, “We won the toss, but we didn’t benefit from it. Their bowlers performed very well. Saud and I aimed to take the game deep.
“Our shot selection was poor. They put pressure on us. You don’t perform across all departments when you lose. We wanted to contain them, but couldn’t.
“We need to improve our fielding. There were many mistakes in this match.”
The Dubai International Cricket Stadium hosted a spirited crowd.
In his quest to extend his record, Kohli notched his 51st century and brought his ODI innings tally to 14,000. India finished their innings with 244-4 in 42.3 overs on Sunday.
Shreyas Iyer’s contribution of 56 runs from 67 balls paired with Kohli’s form helped to build a substantial 114-run partnership for the third wicket.
Kuldeep Yadav shone with the ball, taking 3-40, as Pakistan was bowled out for just 241 runs across 49.4 overs after winning the toss and electing to bat.
Kohli, awarded player of the match, reached his milestone off 111 deliveries.
“It feels good to bat in such a manner, especially in such an important game where a spot for the semis was available,” he said in a post-match interview.
“We had to control the middle overs and avoid taking risks against the spinners while being aggressive against the pacers. I was happy with the strategy. It reflects how I play in ODIs.”
Looking ahead, Pakistan’s prospects hinge on an improbable sequence of results across the remaining group-stage matches.
Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan commented, “We won the toss, but we didn’t benefit from it. Their bowlers performed very well. Saud and I aimed to take the game deep.
“Our shot selection was poor. They put pressure on us. You don’t perform across all departments when you lose. We wanted to contain them, but couldn’t.
“We need to improve our fielding. There were many mistakes in this match.”
