India delivered a dominant performance to defeat Pakistan in their Champions Trophy 2025 encounter at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. A stellar bowling display restricted Pakistan to a modest 241, before Virat Kohli’s unbeaten 51st ODI century guided India to a comfortable six-wicket victory. The win further cemented India’s dominance in the historic rivalry and put Pakistan on the brink of elimination from the tournament.
Pakistan’s Batting Falters After a Promising Start
Winning the toss, Pakistan opted to bat first on a slow Dubai surface, expecting to put up a competitive total. Their openers, Babar Azam and Imam-ul-Haq, started cautiously, navigating the initial swing offered by Mohammed Shami and Hardik Pandya. Babar, under immense pressure after a string of low scores, found some rhythm with crisp boundaries, while Imam looked to anchor the innings.
However, India’s bowlers quickly adjusted their lengths, forcing Pakistan into a collapse. Pandya provided the breakthrough by tempting Babar into a false drive, which resulted in an easy catch. Shortly after, a misjudged single led to Imam’s run-out, leaving Pakistan at 52/2.
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The middle order struggled to maintain momentum as India’s disciplined attack piled on the pressure. Mohammad Rizwan and Saud Shakeel attempted to rebuild, putting on a vital 100-run stand, but their scoring rate remained sluggish due to India’s tight field placements and clever bowling variations. Shakeel fought his way to a well-made 63-ball fifty, while Rizwan played a patient knock of 46. However, just as Pakistan looked to accelerate, Axar Patel bowled Rizwan with a well-disguised arm ball, and Hardik sent Shakeel back soon after with a sharp bouncer.
From a promising 151/2, Pakistan crumbled under pressure, losing three wickets for just 14 runs. Ravindra Jadeja further dented their hopes by spinning one past Tayyab Tahir’s defense, while Kuldeep Yadav struck twice in an over to remove Salman Ali Agha and Shaheen Afridi. Khushdil Shah’s late 38-run cameo helped Pakistan cross the 200-run mark, but they were eventually bowled out for 241 in 49.4 overs.
Kuldeep Yadav (3/40) and Hardik Pandya (2/31) were India’s standout bowlers, with every other bowler chipping in to ensure Pakistan never got away.
Kohli’s Masterclass Guides India to Comfortable Chase
Chasing 242, India got off to a flying start, with captain Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill attacking Pakistan’s pace spearhead Shaheen Afridi. Rohit looked in ominous touch, racing to 20 off just 15 balls before Shaheen produced a sensational inswinging yorker to uproot his middle stump. However, Gill continued the aggressive approach, stepping out to drive Afridi and Naseem Shah confidently.
India reached 64/1 at the end of the PowerPlay, setting a strong foundation. With the required rate in control, Kohli took charge, expertly maneuvering the field and rotating the strike. He brought up his 14,000th ODI run in the process, becoming the fastest player to achieve the milestone. Alongside Gill, he ensured Pakistan’s bowlers had no room to settle.
Gill fell just four runs short of a half-century when leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed spun one past his defenses. This led to a brief lull in India’s scoring as Shreyas Iyer took time to settle. However, Kohli ensured there was no panic, finding boundaries early in the spells of returning pacers. Iyer soon joined the act, sweeping and reverse-sweeping Khushdil Shah for consecutive boundaries.
By the time Iyer departed for 56, India was within touching distance of victory. The only question remaining was whether Kohli would reach his century before the chase concluded. He did so in style, bringing up his ton off 111 balls with a crisp boundary, ensuring India coasted home in 42.3 overs with six wickets in hand.
What’s Next?
India’s win all but guarantees them a place in the semifinals of the Champions Trophy, continuing their impressive run in ICC white-ball events. Pakistan, on the other hand, face a do-or-die situation in their final group match, needing a win and a favorable net run rate equation to stay alive in the competition.
With another clinical victory, India once again demonstrated why they are among the tournament favorites, while Pakistan are left searching for answers after yet another disappointing performance against their arch-rivals.
Brief Scores: Pakistan 241 in 49.4 overs (Saud Shakeel 62, Mohammad Rizwan 46; Kuldeep Yadav 3-40, Hardik Pandya 2-31) India 244/4 in 42.3 overs (Virat Kohli 100*, Shreyas Iyer 56; Shaheen Afridi 2-74) India won by 6 wickets.
