Virat Kohli ton against Pakistan puts India on brink of Champions Trophy semis
Kohli took centre stage in Dubai.
Virat Kohli’s record-extending 51st one-day century left India on the verge of the Champions Trophy semi-finals and Pakistan on the brink of elimination.
After Pakistan were bowled out for a disappointing 241 in 49.4 overs, Kohli took centre stage in Dubai, ticking off 14,000 ODI runs en route to 100 not out off 111 balls in India’s six-wicket victory.
The superstar number three has had a prolonged lean patch across all formats but hit his seventh four to bring up a first 50-over hundred since the 2023 World Cup and get India to their victory target.
The backdrop to this fixture, which is estimated to attract more than one billion worldwide viewers, was India’s refusal to travel to Pakistan, meaning a hybrid model for the staging of this tournament.
The two countries have not played each other outside major tournaments in 11 years, while India last visited Pakistan in 2008 and were advised by its government not to do so for this event.
Pakistan therefore flew to the United Arab Emirates having lost their tournament opener to New Zealand in Karachi on Wednesday, and they were subdued with the bat after winning the toss.
Saud Shakeel (62) and Mohammad Rizwan (46) put on 104 for the third wicket but Pakistan badly lost their way from 151 for two in the 34th over, losing their last eight wickets for just 90 runs.
Kohli reached another benchmark when he batted, becoming the quickest to 14,000 ODI runs in his 287th inning and just the third overall after compatriot Sachin Tendulkar and Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara.
Kohli put on 69 with Shubman Gill (46) while a 114-run union with Shreyas Iyer (56) broke the back of the chase for India, who won their tournament opener by beating Bangladesh on Thursday.
While Iyer and Hardik Pandya departed within successive overs, the only lingering doubt was whether Kohli, who leapfrogged Tendulkar’s record for the most ODI tons in 2023, would get to three figures.
He did so with a customary blow through the covers after advancing down the track to slow left-armer Khushdil Shah before soaking in the applause having gotten India home and hosed in the 43rd over.
