India Secures Commanding Six-Wicket Victory Over Pakistan in ICC Champions Trophy 2025
Dubai, The Gulf Observer: India registered a dominant six-wicket win over Pakistan in their ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Group A encounter, successfully chasing down the target of 242 in just 42.3 overs. With this victory, India ascended to the top of Group A, underlining their credentials as tournament favorites.
Virat Kohli played a pivotal role in India’s chase, anchoring the innings with a composed, unbeaten century (100* off 111 balls). This marked his fourth ODI century against Pakistan and further solidified his reputation as one of the greatest chasers in the format. Kohli also reached a historic milestone, becoming the fastest batter in ODI history to amass 14,000 runs.
Clinical Indian Chase Led by Kohli and Iyer
India’s pursuit of 242 began with an aggressive start by Rohit Sharma, who struck a six and a four before being dismissed by Shaheen Shah Afridi for 20 off 15 balls in the fifth over. Shubman Gill and Kohli then stabilized the innings with a solid 68-run stand for the second wicket, before Gill (46 off 52) was dismissed by Abrar Ahmed.
Shreyas Iyer contributed significantly with a well-compiled 56 off 67 balls, forming a crucial 103-run partnership with Kohli that dismantled Pakistan’s hopes of a comeback. Iyer eventually fell to Khushdil Shah, caught by Imam-ul-Haq. Although Shaheen Afridi later dismissed Hardik Pandya (8), India remained firmly in control with the required run rate dropping below 3.00.
Among Pakistan’s bowlers, Shaheen Afridi (2/74) and Khushdil Shah (1/43) provided sporadic breakthroughs, but their efforts were insufficient to halt India’s march towards victory. Haris Rauf endured a difficult outing, conceding 46 runs in six overs, while Abrar Ahmed (10-0-28-1) was the most economical among Pakistan’s bowlers.
Pakistan’s Inning: Momentum Lost in the Middle Overs
Earlier in the day, Pakistan posted a total of 241 in 49.4 overs after struggling to maintain momentum in the latter half of their innings. After electing to bat first, Pakistan reached 116/2 at the 27-over mark, with Saud Shakeel (62) and Mohammad Rizwan (46) leading the recovery following early dismissals of Babar Azam (23) and Imam-ul-Haq (10).
Despite a strong 104-run partnership between Shakeel and Rizwan, Pakistan faltered in the death overs. From 151/3, they lost wickets in quick succession, with Rizwan departing in the 34th over. Tayyab Tahir (4) and Salman Agha (19) were unable to capitalize, and by the 43rd over, Pakistan found themselves at 200/6.
Khushdil Shah added a crucial 38 off 39 balls, striking two sixes before being dismissed in the final over. India’s bowlers executed their plans effectively, with Kuldeep Yadav (3/40) and Hardik Pandya (2/31) leading the attack. Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, and Harshit Rana also contributed with timely breakthroughs, ensuring Pakistan never built substantial late-order partnerships.
India Marches Forward
India’s emphatic victory places them atop Group A, boosting their chances of progressing to the knockout stage. With Kohli’s masterclass guiding the chase and the bowling unit executing their plans effectively, India showcased an all-round performance.
Pakistan, meanwhile, will need to regroup quickly and address their middle-order inconsistencies as they prepare for their next group-stage encounter. Their bowlers, barring Abrar Ahmed, struggled to contain India’s batters, signaling areas that need urgent improvement.
India will now shift focus to their upcoming fixture, aiming to maintain their dominant form in the tournament.
