In the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy, India defeated Pakistan by six wickets in a high-stakes Group A clash at the Dubai International Stadium tonight. Chasing a target of 242 set by Pakistan, India made 244 for 4 in 42.3 overs. For India, Virat Kohli with an unbeaten century and Shreyas Iyer with 56 were the top scorers.
For Pakistan, Shaheen Afridi took two wickets while Abrar Ahmed and Khushdil Shah took a wicket each. Earlier, Pakistan won the toss and opted to bat first. However, the Men in Blue kept the pressure on, picking up wickets at regular intervals and restricting the defending champions to an ordinary total of 241 in 49.4 overs.
Kuldeep Yadav led the bowling attack with three wickets, while Hardik Pandya claimed two. Harshit Rana, Ravindra Jadeja, and Axar Patel chipped in with a wicket each. Axar Patel also shone in the field, contributing two run-outs and a sharp catch. For Pakistan, Saud Shakeel, 62, and Mohammad Rizwan, 46, added some crucial runs, but the run rate wasn’t great.
Meanwhile, Virat Kohli inscribed his name in cricketing history, surpassing Mohammed Azharuddin’s record of 156 catches. With 158 to his credit, he now holds the title of India’s highest catch-taker in ODIs.
Earlier, Pakistan made one change to their playing XI, bringing in Imam-ul-Haq in place of Fakhar Zaman, while India has retained the same lineup from their victory against Bangladesh. India, led by Rohit Sharma, made an impressive start to their campaign with a commanding six-wicket victory over Bangladesh on Wednesday.
On the other hand, Pakistan was handed a 60-run defeat by New Zealand in their opening match in Karachi. A win for India today would virtually secure their place in the semi-finals of the eight-team tournament, while Pakistan faces a must-win situation to stay in contention for the last four.
