A vintage Virat Kohli century and a coming-of-age knock from Shubman Gill guided India to a commanding eight-wicket victory over Pakistan under the floodlights at the Dubai International Stadium in the 2025 Champions Trophy on Saturday (February 22).

This marked India’s second consecutive successful chase in the tournament, and with Pakistan’s second straight defeat, their hopes of making it to the semi-finals are now hanging by a thread.

Rohit’s Blazing Start, Shaheen’s Magic Delivery

As has been the trend, skipper Rohit Sharma laid the foundation for India’s chase. He wasted no time, smashing Naseem Shah for a four and a six within his first eight deliveries. On the other end, Gill took the attack to Shaheen Afridi, punishing him for two boundaries as the left-arm pacer searched in vain for swing.

• Rohit looked in top form at 20 off 15 balls, playing a gorgeous scoop drive over covers against Afridi.
• However, Shaheen hit back in style, sneaking a stunning yorker under Rohit’s bat to bowl him—his sixth dismissal of Rohit in just nine international matches.
• The delivery was eerily similar to the one that trapped Rohit LBW for a golden duck in the 2021 T20 World Cup.

Despite this setback, India had an in-form Shubman Gill waiting to take on Afridi.

Gill Takes Charge, Kohli Plays the Perfect Anchor

Gill faced five consecutive dot balls from Naseem Shah in the sixth over, but instead of feeling pressured, he counter-attacked brilliantly.

• He smashed five sublime boundaries (plus one streaky edge) against Shaheen Afridi, shifting the momentum back in India's favor.
• This clever approach also ensured Kohli didn’t have to face Afridi when he was in full flow.

When Gill was dropped by Khushdil Shah off Haris Rauf’s bowling, Kohli returned the favor by taking on the express pacer, hitting two crisp boundaries soon after.

Gill looked in cruise mode, but his impressive knock was cut short by Abrar Ahmed’s brilliance.

• The mystery spinner set him up with a googly, then followed it with a beautiful carrom ball that crashed into the top of off stump.
• Kohli’s eyes widened in admiration—part meme-worthy reaction, part India’s joy at still being in control.

With Shreyas Iyer aggressive at the other end, playing a rare but effective reverse sweep, India's run rate only climbed higher.

Iyer’s Blitz, Kohli’s Finishing Touch

Iyer raced to yet another ODI half-century, only to fall while trying to accelerate further. Pandya, in an over-ambitious attempt, also fell cheaply for 8 (6).

As Kohli approached his century, Axar Patel smartly rotated the strike, ensuring he got the opportunity to finish the game in style.

• With two runs required, Kohli stood at *96.
• He smashed Khushdil Shah through covers, bringing up his 51st ODI century and sealing the match at the same moment.

A masterclass in chasing had once again unfolded, with Kohli unbeaten at 100 off 111 balls.

Pakistan’s Batting Struggles Continue

Pakistan’s innings had a chaotic start, with Mohammed Shami bowling five wides in an 11-ball first over—the longest-ever for an Indian in Champions Trophy history.

Babar Azam started aggressively, hitting five boundaries in his first 25 deliveries. However, Pakistan’s innings soon began to unravel.

• Due to Dubai’s traffic issues, India had only 35 minutes to warm up before the toss, and it seemed to affect their rhythm early on.
• But Babar’s poor run of form soon opened the door for India.

In the ninth over, after driving Hardik Pandya for a sumptuous boundary, Babar chased a wide delivery and ended up giving an easy catch to KL Rahul behind the stumps.

Pakistan’s Middle-Order Stagnation

• Imam-ul-Haq, playing his first ODI since 2023, was run out yet again—his sixth run-out in ODIs.
• He attempted a quick single against Kuldeep Yadav, but Axar Patel’s lightning-quick pick-up and throw sent him packing—a throwback to Ravindra Jadeja’s brilliant run-out of Shoaib Malik in the 2017 Champions Trophy.

At this point, Pakistan was struggling, but Mohammad Rizwan and Saud Shakeel tried to rebuild.

• Their 104-run stand took 24 overs, managing only seven boundaries in that period.
• Their slow approach piled on the pressure, making it clear that they were building towards a push in the final overs.

However, on a slow Dubai pitch, accelerating suddenly was as dangerous as plunging your frozen hands into a fire.

• Rizwan tried to shift gears but was dropped in the deep by Harshit Rana off Pandya’s bowling.
• In the very next over, Axar Patel cleaned him up, and Pakistan's collapse began.

Within the next nine balls:

• Saud Shakeel (62 off 76) was dropped off Axar’s bowling, but Pandya ensured he holed out to deep square leg soon after.
• Tayyab Tahir was castled by the ball of the match from Ravindra Jadeja.
• Kuldeep Yadav took two in two—dismissing Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Afridi, and Naseem Shah in quick succession.

Pakistan never recovered, as Khushdil Shah (38 off 39) tried to add late runs but was eventually dismissed in the final over.

With Haris Rauf smashing a six and then getting run-out immediately after, the innings ended at a below-par 241 in 49.4 overs.

India’s Bowlers Shine

Despite the shaky start, India’s bowlers dominated after the early breakthroughs.

• Hardik Pandya and Harshit Rana used their slower variations smartly, forcing Pakistan’s batters into singles and dots.
• Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav kept things tight, conceding very little.
• Jadeja’s sharp turn and accuracy once again proved too much for Pakistan’s middle-order.

No Indian bowler went for an economy rate higher than six, showing how well they executed their game plan.

India on the Rise, Pakistan in Trouble

With this comprehensive eight-wicket win, India remains unbeaten, while Pakistan's semi-final hopes are in serious jeopardy.

Virat Kohli’s flawless century, Shubman Gill’s dominant stroke play, and India’s clinical bowling effort ensured that the Men in Blue once again reigned supreme in this historic rivalry.