In a thriller at the 2025 Champions Trophy, Virat Kohli once again proved himself against Pakistan and led India to a six wicket win. Kohli’s unbeaten 100, his 51st in ODIs, was the difference between India winning and losing as India chased 242 and sealed the semifinal spot for themselves. The match was played on February 23, 2025 and with this win India is on top of Group A with 4 points while Pakistan is on the verge of elimination after their 2nd loss.

Kohli's Masterclass

Chasing a target of 242 India relied heavily on Kohli’s experience and skill. The batting legend scored a fantastic 100 off 111 balls with 7 fours. His innings was a proof of his ability to raise his game against a tough opponent like Pakistan. Kohli’s hundred was a personal milestone and also made him the fastest to 14000 ODI runs and further cemented his place in ODI history.

Kohli’s score was well supported by Shreyas Iyer who played a composed 56 off 67 and Shubman Gill who got India off to a solid start with 46 off 52. They chased the target with more than 7 overs to spare and had a all round batting performance.

Pakistan's Struggles

Pakistan on the other hand found themselves in a spot of difficulty after they chose to bat first. They managed to score 241 mostly thanks to Saud Shakeel’s 62 off 76 and Khushdil Shah’s 38 off 39. But the Pakistani batting line up never really got going especially after the early dismissal of their stars Babar Azam and Imam ul Haq.

Babar Azam, who looked good with a few nice drives, was undone by Hardik Pandya’s clever bowling, edging a ball to wicketkeeper KL Rahul. Imam got run out and Pakistan were 47 for two. A brief recovery by Rizwan and Shakeel didn’t help as Indian bowlers tightened the noose.

Indian Bowling Skills

The Indian bowlers were brilliant, with Kuldeep Yadav leading the charge with 3 for 40. The Indian attack was very disciplined and didn’t allow the Pakistani batsmen to score freely. There was a phase in the innings when Rizwan and Shakeel didn’t score a boundary for 55 balls which shows the pressure that the Indian bowlers were putting.

Rizwan’s aggressive approach backfired when he tried to charge down the track to Axar Patel and got out. Shakeel who was solid till then got a short ball from Pandya and skied it to Axar in the deep. The remaining Pakistani batsmen couldn’t handle the Indian bowlers and Kuldeep took the wickets of Salman Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah and effectively ended the Pakistani innings.

Conclusion

In the end Kohli’s brilliance won the day as India dominated the high stakes match. With this win India not only strengthened their position in the tournament but also sent a warning to the other teams. As the tournament progresses Kohli’s form and the team’s cohesion will be key to their Champions Trophy dream. Meanwhile Pakistan need to regroup fast to save their campaign in front of the home crowd.