Champions Trophy: India defeats Pak in style, enter semis

Host Pakistan is now out of the tournament in shock to millions

Dubai: Virat Kohli brought back his vintage self to hit his 51st ODI century off 111 balls and help India inch closer to a semi-finals spot with a comprehensive six-wicket win over Pakistan in the high-stakes 2025 Champions Trophy Group A clash at the Dubai International Stadium. 

India had come into the game as favorites to win this game, and justified that billing through an impressive bowling performance to bundle out Pakistan for 241 in 49.4 overs. Kuldeep Yadav shone in the back-end to take 3-40, while Hardik Pandya bowled brilliantly to pick 2-31.

On a slow pitch, electing to bat first, Pakistan's batters started firmly but couldn't score quickly, with a 104-run stand between Saud Shakeel (62) and Mohammad Rizwan (46) being the only prominent feature of their innings, though it came at a snail’s pace. From 151-2, Pakistan looked prime to go beyond 250, but India triggered a batting meltdown to bowl them out for a total nine runs short of it.

In the chase, Kohli led the charge by hitting seven boundaries in a sublime knock and sharing a solid 114-run stand with Shreyas Iyer, who made a 67-ball 56, as India reached home with 45 balls to spare in front of a sell-out crowd.

Chasing 242, Rohit Sharma got going by edging Naseem Shah for a four and followed it up with a trademark pick-up going for six, which helped him go past 9,000 runs as an opener in ODIs and becoming the sixth player to do so. From the other end, Shubman Gill began with two boundaries off Shaheen Shah Afridi.

But Shaheen struck in the fifth over by deceiving Rohit with late movement on a 143 kmph in swinging yorker, and castled him through the gate. But Gill was undeterred and went on to hit Shaheen for five boundaries, with the front foot straight drive gently punched past the pacer. By the time power-play ended, Gill had collected 35 runs off 25 balls against Shaheen.

Shortly after, Gill was dropped on 35 by Khushdil Shah off Haris Rauf, who was later creamed for two boundaries by Kohli, as the veteran batter crossed 14,000 ODI runs mark. But his innings came to an end on 46 when wrist-spinner Abrar Ahmed deceived Gill with a ripping carrom ball delivery that crashed into his off-stump.

Kohli and Iyer pulled Haris Rauf for a boundary each, before the former got his fifty by lofting Naseem over the in-field for four, before dispatching Shaheen over long-on for another boundary. With less than 90 runs needed, Iyer, who was on 17 off 34 balls at one point, shifted his gears by smashing Khushdil for back-to-back fours, before being dropped on 25 by Saud Shakeel.