Sunday, i.e. 23rd February saw the most anticipated cricketing clash unfold in the most dramatic manner. It was the high octane clash between India and Pakistan in the ongoing Champions Trophy 2025. After the governing bodies of both nations decided that the match would be played in the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, the nearly 30,000 capacity stadium was filled to the brim.
The intense rivalry, that also had a Netflix miniseries made on it in 2025 called ‘The Greatest Rivalry’, began at 1:00 pm local time. For the next seven-and-a-half to eight hours, the match had everything to offer to the fans. There were ups and downs for both sides throughout the 50-over game. But in the end, it was jubilation for India and chagrin for Pakistan.
India won the match by 6 wickets. After batting first, Pakistan were bowled out for 241 in 49.4 overs. India comfortably chased it down in 42.2 overs with their score 244/4. Here’s all the key moments and highlights from the game:
Pakistan’s Early Stride After Winning the Toss
Pakistan won the toss and opted to bat first – a strategy that has remained their blueprint on big occasion matches. This was also Indian captain Rohit Sharma’s 12th loss of toss in a row.
Imam-ul-Haq and Babar Azam started the innings on a positive note. With a few stunning boundaries, both Babar Azam and Imam-ul-Haq looked in good touch. This was until Hardik Pandya was brought into the attack and bowled a rather plain delivery outside off stump that fetched Babar Azam’s wicket. Pakistan lost their first at the score of 41 in 8.1 overs. Soon after, Imam-ul-Haq was run out by Axar Patel with a direct hit.
At 47-2, Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan came out to bat. He and Saud Shakeel steadied the ship for a while as their innings slowed down significantly for the next 25 overs. However, the caution-filled gameplay didn’t yield big results as Pakistan wickets fell at regular intervals after that. Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, Hardik Pandya, and Kuldeep Yadav struck in tandem to dismantle the Pakistan top order.
There was a brief attacking show put up by Khushdil Shah towards the end, but he too got out at 38(39) after Harshit Rana picked up his wicket. Pakistan were bundled out for 241, which, as per some experts, were 30-40 runs short on a batting track.
Kuldeep Yadav Was the Pick of the Bowlers for India
Axar Patel broke the crucial partnership between Rizwan and Shakeel as the Pakistan captain was clean bowled. Pandya and Jadeja picked up the following wickets of Saud Shakeel and Tayyab Tahir respectively. However, it was Kuldeep Yadav’s spell towards the end that put the final nail in the coffin.
Yadav picked up Salman Ali Agha at first, caught inside the inner circle by Ravindra Jadeja. After that, he got Shaheen Shah Afridi LBW, who went back to the pavilion for a golden duck. Yadav’s third wicket was Naseem Shah, caught by Virat Kohli. The wily left-arm wrist spinner ended his figures with 3-40 of his 9 overs. He was the pick of the bowlers.
In-form Shubman Gill Showed His Class Once Again
Shubman Gill seems to have found the ‘Midas’ touch in ODI cricket. He has been in sublime form of late, which he carried it forward against the Pakistani bowling attack. Gill started well alongside an attacking Rohit Sharma, who fell cheaply for 20 off 15 deliveries. Although Gill failed to score a hundred or a fifty, his 46 off 52 deliveries, studded with seven boundaries, provided India just the right platform to go for a win.
By the time Gill was out, India’s score was 100/2 in 17.3 overs. They were batting at 5.81 runs per over, when the required rate was 4.84 from the start. India were already far ahead in the game and the prime favorites to win it by then. Shubman Gill’s 46(52) comes on the back of his back-to-back hundreds against England and Bangladesh. It only took a ripsnorter of a delivery from Abrar Ahmed to get his wicket.
Virat Kohli Showed Once Again Why He is the GOAT
There has been some talk regarding Virat Kohli’s form in both white ball and red ball cricket. Some harsh critics have even questioned his place in the side of late. However, the man with 50 ODI tons (51 now) showed once again why he is considered the GOAT of this format. Kohli’s 51 hundreds in ODIs is only ahead of Rohit Sharma’s 32 hundreds, who rests at second place in the list of ‘Most ODI Centuries’ among active players. Sachin Tendulkar has 49 ODI centuries.
In the India vs Pakistan match, a seemingly out-of-touch Virat Kohli comes to bat at no. 3 when the score was 31/1. His inning was initially slow, cautious, assisting a rather set Shubman Gill and rotating the strike. He picked up his pace after Gill got out, but maintained the balance between attack and defense, something he has been a master at in ODIs.
Even after Gill got out, Kohli was ably supported by another in-form batter in Shreyas Iyer. Iyer scored a brisk 56 off 67 balls and took the pressure off Kohli. In the end, it was a breeze for India as the target neared.
However, the 1.4 billion fans were also eagerly awaiting a Kohli hundred. A century from Virat Kohli brings utter joy and unites the cricketing culture of the nation together like nothing else. But just like the India vs Bangladesh match at the 2023 ODI World Cup, the possibility of a Kohli century was hanging by a thread here as well.
India needed 2 runs to win the match, and Kohli was batting at 96. He needed to score a boundary to bring up his hundred and win the game. As he advanced down the track to Khushdil Shah’s ball outside off stump, Kohli hoiked it over cover as the ball beat the fielder at deep cover to reach the fence. Kohli brought up his 51st hundred, the crowd erupted in joy, and Indian cricket fans got everything they had hoped for.
India’s Dominance Over Pakistan in Recent Times
In ICC ODI tournaments, India has now won 11 times against Pakistan, while Pakistan has won 3 times. All of those 3 times came in the Champions Trophy in the past. India has won all its 8 encounters in ODI World Cups to date. If the T20 matches are to be included in this list, India’s tally rises from 11 to 18 against their rivals. Meanwhile, Pakistan has only beaten India once in a T20 World Cup match in Dubai in 2021. Their tally rises from 3 to 4.
Therefore, with an 18-4 head-to-head record, India has had a significant upper hand over Pakistan in ICC events. Be it the 2023 ODI World Cup match in Ahmedabad or the 2023 Asia Cup match in Colombo or the 2022 T20 World Cup encounter in Melbourne, India has always found a way to emerge victorious.
As rumors about unrest and discord within the Pakistani dressing room come out in the open, people speculate when the Pakistan cricket team will make a mark in big events. Their fans, more than anybody, have been eagerly awaiting a win for some time now. As for India, they are staring down the barrel of another ICC Trophy. Will they go all the way this time?
