Virat Kohli reaffirmed his dominance over Pakistan in ICC tournaments with a majestic unbeaten century, leading India to a commanding six-wicket victory in the Champions Trophy on Sunday. The batting maestro, who has so often produced brilliant performances Pakistan on the biggest stage, delivered yet another masterclass – this time a well-crafted 100* off 111 balls – to steer India in a 242-run chase with 45 balls to spare.
Kohli’s innings was the backbone of India's triumph, as the team all but secured a semifinal berth with their second win in the tournament.
A Virat Kohli innings is never short on drama, and Sunday was no exception. As he inched closer to his century, the equation tightened; India needed just two runs to seal the win, while Kohli was four away from reaching his milestone. As tensions mounted, a lighthearted moment came from the dressing room.
Skipper Rohit Sharma, from the dressing room, cheekily gestured for his teammate to finish the game off with a six. Kohli acknowledged the call, but instead of a maximum, he calmly drove the ball to the boundary – clinching both the win and his 51st ODI century in one stroke.
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Despite a relatively quiet run of form leading into the tournament, Kohli rose to the occasion against Pakistan’s formidable bowling attack, showcasing his trademark precision and composure.
{{/usCountry}}Despite a relatively quiet run of form leading into the tournament, Kohli rose to the occasion against Pakistan’s formidable bowling attack, showcasing his trademark precision and composure.
{{/usCountry}}Complemented by a fluent 56 from Shreyas Iyer and a solid 46 from Shubman Gill, Kohli anchored the chase to perfection, ensuring India remained in total control.
India closing in on semi-final berth
With the win, India are comfortably placed at the top of the group with four points in two matches. A win for New Zealand in their match against Bangladesh would seal India's passage to the semis, with New Zealand joining them in the knock-outs.
Pakistan, meanwhile, now rely on results in other matches to go their way to stay alive in the tournament. The side faced one-sided defeats against both, New Zealand and India, and will now hope for Bangladesh to pull an upset against the Kiwis in Rawalpindi.