India moved closer to securing a spot in the semi-finals of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 with a 6-wicket victory over Pakistan in Dubai. Virat Kohli marked a significant milestone, reaching 14,000 runs in ODI cricket, becoming the fastest Indian to do so, surpassing the legendary Sachin Tendulkar. Kohli’s knock was crucial in guiding India’s chase of 242, forming a vital partnership with Shreyas Iyer to steady the ship after Shubman Gill's dismissal.
Gill’s aggressive innings was cut short by Abrar Ahmed, who bowled a delivery that pitched on middle and leg and shattered the top of the off stump. Gill had been in full flow, especially against Shaheen Afridi, which seemed to demoralize the Pakistan bowlers after Rohit Sharma’s dismissal for 20. Pakistan had their share of drama when Khushdil Shah dropped a sitter off Gill, much to the dismay of Shaheen, Haris Rauf, and Mohammad Rizwan. Despite this, India cruised ahead with Gill at the helm until his departure.
Pakistan was eventually bowled out for 241 in 50 overs, after being reduced to 2 wickets in the first 10 overs. Mohammad Rizwan and Saud Shakeel added a century partnership, although their progress was slow. Just when Pakistan seemed to regain momentum, India’s bowlers, led by Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, and Hardik Pandya, broke the partnership and stopped Pakistan’s recovery. Khushdil Shah’s 39 helped Pakistan reach 241, but without his contribution, they might have struggled to reach 200. Kuldeep was the standout Indian bowler, taking 3/40, while Hardik delivered a solid performance with 2/31 from 8 overs.
