India easily defeated Pakistan in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 match at Dubai Cricket Stadium, chasing down a modest 242-run target thanks to a brilliant century by Virat Kohli and a solid half-century by Shreyas Iyer.
India cruised to victory in their high-profile match against Pakistan, successfully chasing a target of 242 runs with 45 balls to spare. The chase was largely defined by a crucial 114-run partnership between Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer, who both scored fifties, taking India to the brink of victory.
Pakistan’s bowlers had early success, as Shaheen Shah Afridi dismissed Rohit Sharma for 20. However, a 69-run partnership between Kohli and Shubman Gill ensured India maintained control. Gill’s 46 runs from 52 balls included six boundaries before he was dismissed in the 18th over.
Kohli then formed a key partnership with Shreyas Iyer, with both batters scoring half-centuries to keep India on track. Iyer made 56 off 67 balls, which included five boundaries and a six, before being dismissed by Khushdil Shah.
Despite losing Iyer and Hardik Pandya, Kohli remained calm under pressure and steered India home with an unbeaten 100 off 111 balls, featuring seven boundaries. Kohli’s knock guided India to victory and saw him reach a historic milestone, completing 14,000 runs in ODIs. After Sachin Tendulkar and Kumar Sangakkara, he became the third batter in history to achieve this feat in just 287 innings.
Pakistan’s Struggles With the Bat
Earlier, Pakistan’s batting struggled after opting to bat first. Despite a solid 62-run contribution from Saud Shakeel, Pakistan was bowled out for 241 runs in the final over. Hardik Pandya broke Babar Azam and Imam-ul-Haq’s opening stand of 41 runs, and Imam was run out soon after.
Skipper Mohammad Rizwan (46 off 77 balls) and Saud Shakeel (62 off 76 balls) fought hard to stabilize the innings, adding 104 runs for the third wicket. However, Pakistan lost quick wickets after their dismissals and failed to recover.
Ravindra Jadeja’s clever bowling and a brilliant spell from Kuldeep Yadav were key in dismantling Pakistan’s middle order. Kuldeep finished with 3 wickets, while Pandya and Jadeja took 2 and 1 wicket, respectively. Pakistan’s lower order struggled, with Khushdil Shah’s 38 off 39 balls being the highest score in the tail.
