India Pulverise Pakistan In Champions Trophy Match As Virat Kohli's Stunning Ton Adds Icing On The Cake

India defeated Pakistan in Champions Trophy match today with Virat Kohli getting his sublime form back.

The Men in Blue totally looked dominating in the game since the start.

Photo Credit: PTI

Pakistan won the toss and decided to bat first against India in Dubai. Team India restricted Pakistan to a modest total of 242.

Chasing a target of 242, Virat Kohli struck his 51st ODI century and 82nd international hundred, guiding India to a comfortable six-wicket victory.

He was well supported by Shreyas Iyer, who came in at No.4 and played a composed innings of 56 runs. The pair appeared untroubled at the crease, with none of Pakistan's bowlers managing to pose a significant challenge.

India got off to a brisk start, courtesy of openers Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill. However, Shaheen Shah Afridi's swinging yorker ended Rohit's innings at 20 runs.

Gill, who has earned the title of 'Prince of Indian cricket,' showcased his class with some elegant straight drives.

Nevertheless, his promising 46-run knock was cut short by Abrar Ahmed's well-executed leg-spin delivery.

Following their dismissals, Shreyas Iyer and Virat Kohli built a crucial 114-run partnership for the third wicket, balancing caution with aggression. With only 28 runs required for victory, Iyer was dismissed while attempting an inside-out drive, departing for 56.

Kohli, however, remained unbeaten on 100, alongside Axar Patel (3*), ensuring a smooth finish for India.

How Pakistan's innings unfolded?

Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan won the toss and chose to bat first. Babar Azam came out with positive intent, finding the boundary at regular intervals early in the innings. However, his opening partner, Imam-ul-Haq, struggled at the other end.

The pair managed to keep the scoreboard ticking with quick singles, but Hardik Pandya's introduction into the attack turned the tide for India. He dismissed Babar Azam for 23, after which a mix-up resulted in Imam-ul-Haq being run out for just 10.

Mohammad Rizwan and Saud Shakeel then steadied the innings with a 101-run stand for the third wicket.

However, their approach in the middle overs was overly cautious, yielding fewer than 30 runs between the 11th and 20th overs. While India couldn't take wickets during this phase, they effectively restricted the run rate, preventing Pakistan from gaining momentum.

Just as Rizwan began to accelerate, Axar Patel bowled him through the gate, dismissing him for 46 at a strike rate of 59.74-an aspect likely to be scrutinised following Pakistan's defeat.

Saud Shakeel top-scored with 62 but failed to capitalise in the death overs. Pakistan continued to lose wickets at regular intervals, with Kuldeep Yadav making full use of the conditions in Dubai.

Khushdil Shah provided some late resistance with a 38-run knock off 29 balls, helping Pakistan cross the 240-run mark. However, by the end of the innings, it was evident that they had fallen 15-20 runs short of a competitive total, which ultimately proved decisive.

For India, Kuldeep Yadav was the standout bowler with three wickets, while Hardik Pandya claimed two scalps. Harshit Rana and Ravindra Jadeja chipped in with a wicket each. Saud Shakeel emerged as Pakistan's top scorer.