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Virat Kohli’s unbeaten century guided India to a commanding six-wicket victory over Pakistan in the Champions Trophy on Sunday, leaving the defending champions on the brink of elimination.
Chasing a target of 242, India comfortably reached it with 45 balls to spare. Kohli anchored the chase with a composed 100* off 111 balls, hitting seven boundaries in the process. Shubman Gill (46) and Shreyas Iyer (56) also made valuable contributions, while Rohit Sharma (20) provided a solid start.
Despite Pakistan’s efforts, including two wickets from Shaheen Afridi, Kohli’s steady knock ensured India’s victory. During his innings, Kohli also achieved the significant milestone of 14,000 runs in One-Day Internationals, further cementing his legacy.
With this defeat, Pakistan has lost both their matches and will now need favorable results in other games to have a chance at reaching the semifinals.
Earlier, India’s disciplined bowling attack had restricted Pakistan to 241 in 49.4 overs. Pakistan’s top order struggled, losing wickets at regular intervals, and failed to build substantial partnerships when it mattered most.
Opting to bat first, Pakistan began cautiously but lost Babar Azam early for 23, caught behind off Hardik Pandya. Imam-ul-Haq soon followed, run out for 10, leaving Pakistan at 47 for 2 in the 10th over.
Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Rizwan steadied the innings with a 104-run third-wicket partnership. Shakeel was the top scorer for Pakistan with 62 off 76 balls, while Rizwan made 46 off 77 balls.
However, India struck back just as Pakistan gained momentum. Kuldeep Yadav removed Salman Agha (19) and Naseem Shah (14), while Ravindra Jadeja dismissed Tayyab Tahir for 4. Pakistan’s middle order faltered, and their lower order failed to accelerate, with Khushdil Shah scoring 38 off 39 balls, including two sixes.
Pakistan lost their final five wickets for just 41 runs, and India wrapped up the innings with two balls remaining. Kuldeep was the standout bowler for India with figures of 3 for 40, while Pandya (2 for 31) and Harshit Rana (1 for 30) also played key roles in Pakistan’s collapse.
