In one of the most thrilling encounters at the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, India defeated Pakistan by six wickets at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Virat Kohli’s phenomenal, match-winning, faultless century became the talk of the town, both among Pakistani journalists and fans alike.
Match Overview
Batting first, Pakistan set a target of 241 runs before getting bowled out in 49.4 overs. Saud Shakeel made 62 notable runs, whereas captain Mohammad Rizwan added another 46 runs. Thanks to Kuldeep Yadav’s excellent bowling (3-40), the Indian bowlers handled the Pakistan batting quite well. India easily chased down the target with 45 balls remaining, thanks to Kohli’s top-class batting of an unbeaten 100 runs.
Pakistani Media and Fan Reactions
After the match, there was an outpouring of reactions in the Pakistani media and among fans. The popular English newspaper Dawn headlined their coverage: “Champions Trophy: Virat Does a Kohli, Powers India to Easy Win over Pakistan,” acknowledging Kohli’s importance in the match. Similarly, Geo News commented, “Kohli Stars as Pakistan Lose High-Stakes Champions Trophy Clash Against India,” reflecting upon what Pakistan missed and what are the odds the team was against.
Fans showed a mix of disappointment and frustration-in particular with respect to not being able to tame Kohli’s act. A fan commented despairingly, “Even if we lost, they should have at least stopped Kohli’s century.” This emotion is reflective of the mammoth expectations and the emotional participation in this age-old rivalry.
The Toll on Pakistan
This defeat has put Pakistan under pressure in this tournament. After their back-to-back losses against New Zealand and India, their fate now also depends on results obtained from other matches, especially those in which they would like to see other teams help their cause. Captain Mohammad Rizwan was frank about it: “As a captain, I don’t like this (depending on other teams). If you’re good enough, you show it by winning and keeping things in your hands.”
