India's Victory Seals Semifinal Berth, Ends Pakistan's Journey
India secured a decisive six-wicket victory over Pakistan in the Champions Trophy, ensuring their place in the semifinals while knocking Pakistan out of the tournament. Virat Kohli (100 off 111 balls, 7x4)* played a stellar knock, supported by Shreyas Iyer (56 off 67 balls, 5x4, 1x6) and Shubman Gill (46 off 52 balls, 7x4) as India comfortably chased 242 runs in 42.3 overs, losing just four wickets. Pakistan, batting first, was all out for 241 runs in 49.4 overs, with Saud Shakeel (62 off 76 balls, 5x4) top-scoring. Kuldeep Yadav (3/40) and Hardik Pandya (2/31) led India's bowling attack.
Steady Chase with Kohli's Century
India's chase was smooth, with no major hurdles. Although captain Rohit Sharma (20 off 15 balls, 3x4, 1x6) fell early to Shaheen Afridi, he gave a quick start, unsettling Pakistan’s bowlers. After his dismissal, Shubman Gill took charge, hitting elegant drives, including a stunning straight drive off Shaheen. Kohli, starting cautiously, settled into his innings without unnecessary risks. At 100/1, Shubman fell to spinner Abrar Ahmed.
Kohli then built a solid partnership with Shreyas Iyer. Kohli reached his half-century in 69 balls, while Shreyas, after being given a life, completed his fifty in 63 balls. With India at 214/2 in the 38th over, victory was imminent despite Shreyas and Hardik (8) falling quickly. The focus shifted to whether Kohli would complete his century. With just four runs needed, he took a single, received the strike back, and sealed the century with a cover drive boundary, securing India’s victory.
Pakistan's Batting Collapse
Pakistan, opting to bat first, had an unstable innings. Openers Babar Azam (23 off 26 balls, 5x4) and Imam-ul-Haq (10) tried to build a foundation but were soon dismissed, leaving Pakistan struggling at 47/2. Rizwan (46) and Shakeel (62) attempted to stabilize the innings with a slow partnership, scoring only 42 runs in 14 overs before accelerating. Pakistan looked on track for 270-280 runs at 137/2 in 31 overs, but wickets fell rapidly after Rizwan's dismissal.
Despite Khushdil Shah (38) and Salman Agha (19) trying to recover the innings, Kuldeep Yadav's three-wicket spell and Jadeja's key breakthroughs restricted Pakistan to 241 all out.
Match Summary
Pakistan Innings (241 All Out in 49.4 Overs)
- Saud Shakeel – 62 (76)
- Mohammad Rizwan – 46 (Axar Patel)
- Khushdil Shah – 38 (Harshit Rana)
- Fall of Wickets: 1-41, 2-47, 3-151, 4-159, 5-165, 6-200, 7-200, 8-222, 9-241
India Bowling
- Kuldeep Yadav – 3/40 (9)
- Hardik Pandya – 2/31 (8)
- Axar Patel – 1/49 (10)
- Ravindra Jadeja – 1/40 (7)
India Innings (244/4 in 42.3 Overs)
- Virat Kohli – 100* (111)
- Shreyas Iyer – 56 (67)
- Shubman Gill – 46 (52)
- Fall of Wickets: 1-31, 2-100, 3-214, 4-223
Pakistan Bowling
- Shaheen Afridi – 2/74 (8)
- Abrar Ahmed – 1/28 (10)
- Khushdil Shah – 1/43 (7.3)
