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Ayushi Singh

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Virat Kohli

India vs Pakistan: 3 turning points in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 clash

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It would be years from now, and Pakistan would still be searching for a way to overcome Virat Kohli. An outside-the-off-stump delivery, a leg-spin bowl, Kohli, at times, finds them all difficult to deal with. And yet, the Indian, in his illustrious career, has never found it challenging to tackle Pakistan. Once a celebrated rivalry, the India vs Pakistan tussle might have just turned into a Virat Kohli vs Pakistan clash, and the player still outweighs the neighbors. By the end of the India vs Pakistan clash at the ICC Champions Trophy, the focus was not on the match's result but on Kohli's quest to complete his 82nd century. Now, with Kohli's ton completed and India's second victory in the tournament, Pakistan has been eliminated from their home ICC event.

ICC Champions Trophy 2025: A thrilling India vs Pakistan encounter, courtesy Virat Kohli

  • The partnership between Mohammad Rizwan and Saud Shakeel for the third wicket

The stand between skipper Mohammad Rizwan and Saud Shakeel was the only phase where the hosts looked in control in the India vs Pakistan game. After Hardik Pandya provided a breakthrough for India by dismissing Babar Azam, Imam-ul-Haq walked off to a splendid run-out by Axar Patel. The two quick wickets in the powerplay swung things in India's favor. However, what followed was a tenacious test for the bowlers as Rizwan and Shakeel found their footing at the crease. Though progressing slowly, Shakeel reached his half-century as the partnership crossed the 100-run mark. While Pakistan would have preferred a quicker scoring rate, when the collapse eventually came, the hosts were left desperate for at least 20-25 more runs in their total of 241.

  • Pakistan's late collapse in the opening innings, starring Kuldeep Yadav

After what emerged as a trial, India finally made inroads into the game as Axar Patel dismissed Mohammad Rizwan. After a dropped catch by Harshit Rana off Hardik Pandya’s delivery in the 33rd over, Patel wasted no time and cleaned the stumps behind the Pakistan skipper in the very next over. Rizwan walked off for 46. Like Rizwan, Saud Shakeel also got a lifeline when Kuldeep Yadav dropped him in the same over. However, India's clutch man, Hardik Pandya, soon had his moment of redemption.

Though Salman Ali Agha and Tayyab Tahir attempted to match the rhythm set by Rizwan and Shakeel, India had found theirs by then. From the 43rd over to the 50th, India picked up five wickets, triggering a collapse in the Pakistani batting order. Kuldeep Yadav picked up three as he finally announced his arrival in the tournament. Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel chipped in with one wicket each, while Hardik Pandya claimed two. Meanwhile, Pakistan's lower order was wiped out within a span of just 41 runs, with Saud Shakeel emerging as the top scorer for the team with 62 runs.

  • A seamless run-chase led by the ton of Virat Kohli

India never looked out of control in the 242-run chase. Though Rohit Sharma departed early to a scintillating delivery by Shaheen Afridi, he did not leave without playing some eye-pleasing strokes. The skipper smashed a six and three fours before getting dismissed for 20 in the fifth over. After that, Pakistan struggled as the in-form Shubman Gill showcased his exemplary batting, a reflection of his previous innings against Bangladesh. Meanwhile, Virat Kohli settled in, an all-too-familiar sight against Pakistan. Even after Abrar Ahmed trapped Gill with an unplayable delivery, dismissing him just before he could reach his fifty, Kohli remained unfazed.

Kohli then found a stable and aggressive partner in Shreyas Iyer, who raced to a quickfire fifty as the two put together a century stand. By the time their partnership took shape, Pakistan's chances were all but over. Once Kohli notched up his fifty and became the fastest batter to reach 14,000 ODI runs, the match turned into a Kohli masterclass. While Khushdil Shah managed to dismiss Shreyas, there was never a doubt about India’s victory. From that point onwards, the game was more about whether Kohli could get to his century before the chase ended.

After Hardik Pandya was dismissed, Axar Patel took it upon himself to ensure Kohli reached his 81st international ton. In between, Shaheen Afridi played a sly trick, bowling a wide to reduce the runs required to fewer than what Kohli needed for his century, a move that was met with loud boos from the Dubai crowd. After Patel deliberately pushed a delivery to a fielder, India needed two runs to win, while Kohli required a boundary to complete his century. Both happened simultaneously as Kohli dispatched Khushdil’s delivery to the boundary, sealing India’s victory by six wickets.

Unfortunately for Pakistan, the hosts have now become the first team to be eliminated from the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Even if they manage to win their last remaining group-stage match against Bangladesh, the defending champions have lost their chance at semi-final qualification.

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