India secured a crucial five-wicket victory over arch-rivals Pakistan in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, bringing them closer to a semifinal berth.
Pakistan’s chances, however, now depend on other results, and they must secure a big win against Bangladesh in their final group-stage match to stay in contention.
Once again, Virat Kohli proved to be Pakistan’s nemesis, scoring a match-winning century (100 off 111 balls) to guide India to victory at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Sunday. This win strengthens India’s chances of reaching the semifinals, while Pakistan faces an uphill battle.
In Group A, if Bangladesh loses to New Zealand in Monday’s game, both India and New Zealand will qualify for the semifinals. However, if New Zealand loses, Pakistan will need a massive victory against Bangladesh and must also hope for India to defeat New Zealand by a big margin.
Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan won the toss and opted to bat first. Despite a solid start from openers Imam-ul-Haq and Babar Azam, Pakistan lost wickets during the powerplay, disrupting their momentum.
A crucial 104-run third-wicket partnership between Saud Shakeel (64) and Rizwan (46) helped Pakistan post a competitive total of 241 before being bowled out in the 50th over.
Apart from Khushdil Shah’s quick 38 off 39 balls, the rest of the batting lineup failed to make a significant impact.
India’s bowling unit delivered a disciplined performance. While Mohammed Shami, the hero of the previous match, went wicketless, Kuldeep Yadav (3/42) and Hardik Pandya (2/36) stepped up, ensuring Pakistan struggled in the middle overs.
The Indian bowlers kept the scoring rate in check, preventing Pakistan from accelerating in the latter stages.
Chasing 242, India got off to a strong start, with openers Rohit Sharma and the in-form Shubman Gill finding boundaries early. However, after Rohit’s dismissal in the powerplay, Kohli took charge.
Gill fell for 46 to Abrar Ahmed, but Shreyas Iyer joined Kohli and built a solid partnership. Iyer contributed a crucial 56 off 67 balls, ensuring India remained on track.
Kohli’s masterful innings saw him reach his 51st ODI century, extending his record for the most centuries in ODI history. Additionally, he crossed 14,000 ODI runs after scoring 15 in this match.
Pakistan’s bowlers struggled to break India’s partnerships consistently. Shaheen Shah Afridi picked up two wickets, while Abrar Ahmed and Khushdil Shah took one each, but it wasn’t enough to stop India from sealing the victory.
With this win, India is now on the verge of securing a semifinal spot, while Pakistan’s hopes rest on a favorable outcome in the remaining group-stage matches.
