Virat Kohli once again showcased his cricketing brilliance by scoring an impressive 51st century in one-day internationals, bringing India tantalizingly close to securing a spot in the Champions Trophy semi-finals. At the same time, Pakistan finds itself on the precipice of exiting the tournament.
Pakistan’s innings ended disappointingly on 241 in 49.4 overs in Dubai, setting the stage for a Kohli masterclass. The Indian captain smoothly reached the milestone of 14,000 ODI runs, guiding his team to a six-wicket victory with an unbeaten 100 off 111 balls.
Kohli, who had been struggling across formats, managed to silence his critics by smashing his seventh boundary to notch his first one-day century since the 2023 World Cup, ushering India to their target with ease.
In what was his ninth 50-plus score in global tournaments against Pakistan, Kohli was a pillar of strength. Pakistan, having lost both their initial matches, face elimination if New Zealand triumphs over Bangladesh in their upcoming clash in Rawalpindi. A victory for New Zealand would simultaneously punch India’s ticket to the last four.
Rivalry
This high-stakes encounter, watched globally by an audience of over a billion, was steeped in history and political complexities. India’s refusal to play in Pakistan led to a hybrid model for this tournament. Despite sharing this intense cricket rivalry, the two nations haven’t faced off outside major events for over a decade. India’s last tour to Pakistan was in 2008, with the current one being called off due to government advice.
Pakistan, arriving in the United Arab Emirates post their loss to New Zealand, faltered after winning the toss. Despite a solid 104-run partnership between Saud Shakeel (62) and Mohammad Rizwan (46), they stumbled from 151 for two, losing their last eight wickets for just 90 runs.
Pakistan’s Collapse
Kuldeep Yadav played a crucial role, taking three wickets for 40 runs, while Kohli’s fielding was impeccable, taking his tally to 158 catches and surpassing Mohammad Azharuddin’s 156 as the most by an Indian outfielder.
With the bat, Kohli achieved yet another milestone, becoming the fastest to reach 14,000 ODI runs, joining the elite club alongside legends Sachin Tendulkar and Kumar Sangakkara. His partnerships with Shubman Gill (46) and Shreyas Iyer (56) were instrumental in dismantling Pakistan’s defense, 69 runs with the former and an assertive 114-run stand with the latter.
Although Iyer and Hardik Pandya fell in quick succession, there was never any doubt about Kohli reaching his century. He effortlessly surpassed Tendulkar’s record for the most ODI tons in 2023, sealing his century with a characteristic cover drive off Khushdil Shah before basking in the well-deserved accolades, having led India to victory by the 43rd over.
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