India humiliates Pakistan in Champions Trophy 2025 as Virat Kohli smashes record-breaking century

India reaffirmed its dominance over arch-rival Pakistan in the Champions Trophy 2025, delivering a clinical performance in Dubai that left Pakistan facing the grim reality of an early exit. A masterful, unbeaten hundred from Virat Kohli—his 51st in the format—powered India to a commanding victory, effortlessly chasing down the sub-par target of 242.

The contest, a fixture that transcends cricketing rivalry, once again underscored India’s mental and tactical superiority over Pakistan. While Pakistan had hoped that winning the toss on a slow Dubai surface would work to their advantage, their batting lineup faltered under pressure, oscillating between overly cautious and reckless. In contrast, India’s bowlers, led by the experienced spin trio of Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, and Ravindra Jadeja, squeezed Pakistan’s scoring rate and capitalized on every mistake.

Pakistan’s Inconsistent Batting Hands India the Advantage

Despite an erratic start from India, with Mohammed Shami bowling an 11-ball first over, Pakistan failed to capitalize on the early momentum. Babar Azam looked comfortable initially, but his attempt to drive Hardik Pandya on a ball that wasn’t quite full enough led to his dismissal, setting the tone for Pakistan’s struggles. The dismissal triggered another self-inflicted setback when Imam-ul-Haq was run out following an unnecessary single, reducing Pakistan to 52 in the PowerPlay but at the cost of two crucial wickets.

As the innings progressed, Pakistan’s scoring slowed dramatically. Mohammad Rizwan and Saud Shakeel attempted to rebuild, but India’s disciplined bowling unit prevented any significant acceleration. Their 100-run partnership briefly offered Pakistan hope, with Shakeel registering a well-compiled half-century, but just as they seemed poised to press on, India struck again.

Rizwan, who had survived an earlier dropped catch, was bowled attempting an aggressive charge at Axar Patel, while Shakeel fell soon after to Hardik Pandya’s short ball. Pakistan, echoing their performance from the 2023 World Cup clash against India, crumbled from a relatively stable 151/2 to 165/5. The lower order showed some resistance, with Khushdil Shah scoring a defiant 38 off 39, but Kuldeep Yadav’s double-wicket over ensured Pakistan never truly recovered, eventually folding for 241.

India’s Chase: Kohli Anchors Yet Another Successful Run Chase

Unlike Pakistan, India adjusted seamlessly to the conditions under lights. Although Shaheen Afridi briefly lifted Pakistan’s spirits with a stunning inswinging yorker that dismantled Rohit Sharma‘s middle stump, the setback barely disrupted India’s momentum. Shubman Gill stepped up immediately, aggressively targeting Afridi and preventing Pakistan from applying early pressure.

By the end of the PowerPlay, India vs Pakistan had already tilted decisively in India’s favour, with 64 runs off the target erased. That platform allowed Virat Kohli to play to his strengths—rotating strike efficiently and capitalizing on loose deliveries. His composed approach, complemented by a steady 69-run partnership with Gill, further widened the gulf between the teams.

Even after Shubman Gill was castled by Abrar Ahmed for 46, India never appeared in trouble. With the game already well under control, Kohli methodically dismantled the returning pace attack, ensuring there were no late twists. His 111-ball century, secured with a boundary, put the finishing touch on a dominant performance. By the time he sealed the chase, India was already eyeing yet another ICC white-ball semifinal.

Post-Match Reactions: Confidence vs Reflection

India captain Rohit Sharma praised the bowling unit’s collective effort, highlighting the impact of the spin trio and the seamless execution of game plans. He credited India’s wealth of experience in Champions Trophy 2025, which allowed them to remain composed in crunch moments. Rohit also lauded Kohli’s ability to adapt, calling it unsurprising given his long history of match-winning innings.

On the other hand, Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan admitted his team’s failure to maximize the advantage of batting first. He pointed to poor shot selection and a failure to sustain pressure on India, particularly lamenting missed fielding opportunities that allowed Kohli and Gill to dictate the chase.

For Virat Kohli, the match served as yet another testament to his ability to control an innings in high-pressure games. He emphasized the importance of clarity in approach, ensuring he capitalized on early scoring opportunities while maintaining stability in the middle overs. He also acknowledged the significance of taking a strategic week off after the game, a luxury he appreciates more at this stage of his career.

India vs Pakistan: Another Chapter in India’s Dominance

For Pakistan, this loss marks yet another chapter in their struggles against India in ICC events, reinforcing the growing disparity in their performances on the world stage. India, on the other hand, moves forward with confidence, now on the brink of yet another Champions Trophy 2025 semifinal appearance. If Kohli’s latest masterclass is any indication, they remain the team to beat.

ICC Champions Trophy 2025 – Match 5: India vs Pakistan – Scorecard

Pakistan Innings (50 overs maximum)

Total: 241 all out (49.4 overs, RR: 4.85)

Batsman	R	B	4s	6s	Dismissal
Imam-ul-Haq	10	26	0	0	Run out (Patel)
Babar Azam	23	26	5	0	c †Rahul b Pandya
Saud Shakeel	62	76	5	0	c Patel b Pandya
Mohammad Rizwan (c) †	46	77	3	0	b Patel
Salman Agha	19	24	0	0	c Jadeja b Kuldeep Yadav
Tayyab Tahir	4	6	0	0	b Jadeja
Khushdil Shah	38	39	0	2	c Kohli b Harshit Rana
Shaheen Shah Afridi	0	1	0	0	lbw b Kuldeep Yadav
Naseem Shah	14	16	1	0	c Kohli b Kuldeep Yadav
Haris Rauf	8	7	0	1	Run out (Patel/†Rahul)
Abrar Ahmed	0	0	0	0	Not out

Extras: 17 (lb 8, w 9)

Fall of Wickets: 1-41 (Babar Azam, 8.2 ov), 2-47 (Imam-ul-Haq, 9.2 ov), 3-151 (Mohammad Rizwan, 33.2 ov), 4-159 (Saud Shakeel, 34.5 ov), 5-165 (Tayyab Tahir, 36.1 ov), 6-200 (Salman Agha, 42.4 ov), 7-200 (Shaheen Shah Afridi, 42.5 ov), 8-222 (Naseem Shah, 46.4 ov), 9-241 (Haris Rauf, 48.6 ov), 10-241 (Khushdil Shah, 49.4 ov)

India Bowling

Bowler	O	M	R	W	WD	NB
Mohammed Shami	8	0	43	0	5	0
Harshit Rana	7.4	0	30	1	2	0
Hardik Pandya	8	0	31	2	2	0
Axar Patel	10	0	49	1	0	0
Kuldeep Yadav	9	0	40	3	0	0
Ravindra Jadeja	7	0	40	1	0	0

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India Innings (Target: 242 from 50 overs)

Total: 244/4 (42.3 overs, RR: 5.74)

Batsman	R	B	4s	6s	Dismissal
Rohit Sharma (c)	20	15	3	1	b Shaheen Shah Afridi
Shubman Gill	46	52	7	0	b Abrar Ahmed
Virat Kohli	100	111	7	0	Not out
Shreyas Iyer	56	67	5	1	c Imam-ul-Haq b Khushdil Shah
Hardik Pandya	8	6	1	0	c †Mohammad Rizwan b Shaheen Shah Afridi
Axar Patel	3	4	0	0	Not out

Extras: 11 (w 11)

Did Not Bat: KL Rahul †, Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav

Fall of Wickets: 1-31 (Rohit Sharma, 4.6 ov), 2-100 (Shubman Gill, 17.3 ov), 3-214 (Shreyas Iyer, 38.5 ov), 4-223 (Hardik Pandya, 39.6 ov)

Pakistan Bowling

Bowler	O	M	R	W	WD	NB
Shaheen Shah Afridi	8	0	74	2	5	0
Naseem Shah	8	0	37	0	1	0
Haris Rauf	7	0	52	0	2	0
Abrar Ahmed	10	0	28	1	0	0
Khushdil Shah	7.3	0	43	1	0	0
Salman Agha	2	0	10	0	0	0

Match Details

Venue: Dubai International Cricket Stadium
Toss: Pakistan, elected to bat first
Series: ICC Champions Trophy 2025
Match Number: ODI No. 4847
Match Timing: 23 February 2025 – Day/Night (50-over match)
Player of the Match: Virat Kohli (India)

Match Officials

On-field Umpires: Paul Reiffel (Australia), Richard Illingworth (England)
TV Umpire: Michael Gough (England)
Reserve Umpire: Adrian Holdstock (South Africa)
Match Referee: David Boon (Australia)