DUBAI: With Virat Kohli’s century and Shreyas Iyer’s fifty, India secured a comfortable win over Pakistan while chasing a modest target of 242 runs in a high-voltage ICC Champions Trophy 2025 match played at the Dubai Cricket Stadium on Sunday.
Chasing a modest target of 242 runs, India comfortably achieved the winning runs for the loss of four wickets and 45 balls thanks to a match-defining 114-run partnership between Kohli and Shreyas Iyer.
The former champions made a short start to the chase as their openers Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill added 31 runs in 29 balls before Shaheen Shah Afridi bowled the Indian captain for 20 runs to hand Pakistan their first win.
India’s star batsman Kohli then joined Gill in the middle and kept India in control with a 69-run partnership that ended with the opener’s dismissal in the 18th over.
Gayle scored 46 off 52 balls with the help of six fours.
Kohli then joined hands with Iyer to take India within striking distance and put on a 114-run partnership, between which, both batsmen scored half-centuries each.
The pair looked in complete control to push India forward over the line but Khushdil Shah caused a minor stir by dismissing Iyer, who hit five fours and a six in his 67-ball 56.
India then suffered another setback in their chase in the very next over when Shaheen had Hardik Pandya (eight) caught.
The back-to-back blows, however, did not bother India much as Kohli ensured that there were no further hiccups in the run chase.
Virat Kohli was the top scorer for India with an unbeaten 100 off 111 balls, with the help of seven fours.
For Pakistan, Shaheen took two wickets while Abrar and Khushdil took one wicket each.
Opting to bat first, the hosts managed 241 runs before being dismissed in the final over despite a half-century from Saud Shakeel.
Pakistan’s new opening pair of Babar Azam and Imam-ul-Haq looked good as they added 33 runs before Hardik Pandya caught the former out to provide India with a much-needed breakthrough.
Babar scored 23 runs off 26 balls, hitting five fours in the process.
Making a comeback to the national team, Imam could not convert a cautious start into a big innings as he was run out by Axar Patel in the very next over, reducing Pakistan to 47/2 in 9.2 overs.
After back-to-back blows, captain Mohammad Rizwan and Saud forged a forceful recovery partnership.
The pair batted sensibly, adding a crucial 104 runs for the third wicket until Rizwan was bowled out by Axar Patel in the 34th over.
The Pakistani captain scored 46 runs off 77 balls, with the help of three fours.
Saud, the centrepiece of Pakistan’s batting, followed suit after just eight balls, returning after top-scoring with 62 runs off 76 balls, which included five fours.
Veteran Ravindra Jadeja then consolidated India’s lead by removing Tayyab Tahir (four) and reducing Pakistan to 165/5 in 36.1 overs.
Pakistan’s vice-captain Salman Ali Agha and Khushdil Shah then put on a 35-run partnership to take their team to 200, but Kuldeep Yadav refused to let them come back, striking off two consecutive balls.
Khushdil then took the reins of Pakistan’s batting campaign and scored 38 runs off 39 balls with the help of two sixes.
He was also involved in short partnerships with Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf, who scored 14 and eight runs respectively.
Kuldeep Yadav was the standout bowler for India, taking three wickets, followed by Pandya with two, while Harshit Rana, Jadeja and Patel took one wicket each.
Playing XI
Pakistan: Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (C/WK), Salman Ali Agha, Tayyab tahir, Khushdil Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf and Abrar Ahmed
India: Rohit Sharma (C), Shubhman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul (WK), Hardik Pandya, Pavindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana, Mohammad Shami, Kuldeep Yadav.
