Star India batter Virat Kohli by no means fails to point out his ardour and starvation for runs each time he’s up towards the arch-rivals Pakistan. The identical story continued on Sunday when India took on Pakistan within the Champions Trophy 2025, Group A match in Dubai. Chasing the goal of 242, Kohli was at his very best as he scored an unbeaten century off 111 balls and propelled India to victory by six wickets. It was Kohli’s 51st ODI and 82nd worldwide ton.
Kohli accomplished his ton with a boundary on the third supply of the forty third over by Khushdil Shah, which additionally turned out to be the profitable runs for India. Nonetheless, through the forty second over of India’s chase, Pakistan pacer Shaheen Afridi’s act acquired harsh criticism from the followers.
When Shaheen got here to bowl the forty second over, India wanted 17 runs to win whereas Kohli wanted 13 runs to finish his century. The over started with Axar Patel with Axar Patel rapidly taking a single and giving the strike to Kohli.
Dealing with the second ball, Kohli took a single however then Shaheen bowled three wides within the subsequent deliveries. These extras introduced the equation down to 5 runs for India’s victory and Kohli standing on 94. The gang within the stadium booed Shaheen for intentionally attempting to disclaim Kohli a much-deserved hundred.
Many followers, together with Bollywood actor Paresh Rawal, took to X (previously Twitter) and slammed the Pakistan pacer for lack of sportsmanship.
It was actually an incredible knock ! @imVkohliCompletely surreal to grab the 51st century from the jaws of Shaheen Afridi’s Broad Balls !!!
— Paresh Rawal (@SirPareshRawal) February 23, 2025
SHAHEEN AFRIDI BOWLING WIDES.
– Dubai crowd chanting ‘loser, loser’. pic.twitter.com/PcWfVj9Haw
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) February 23, 2025
Shaheen Shah Afridi displaying worst ever sportsmanship bowling wides willingly to cease Virat from scoring a match profitable hundred.
— Udit (@Merovaeous) February 23, 2025
Shaheen Shah Afridi is taking part in the function of Hardik Pandya, century nahi banne dega ye Kohli ki…
— पहाड़ी_𝕸𝖆𝖓𝖉𝖆𝖑𝖔𝖗𝖎𝖆𝖓 (@pahadi_mando) February 23, 2025
Nonetheless, the future had different plans in retailer as Kohli took on Khushdil Shah within the subsequent over and accomplished his century with a boundary.
“To be trustworthy, it feels good to have the ability to bat in that method in an vital recreation to seal qualification. Feels good to contribute in a recreation the place we misplaced Rohit early, needed to put within the understanding of what we learnt within the final recreation. My job was to manage the center overs towards the spinners with out taking too many dangers, in direction of the top Shreyas accelerated and I bought just a few boundaries as effectively. It allowed me to play my ordinary ODI recreation,” Virat mentioned within the post-match presentation ceremony.
India will now tackle New Zealand of their final group stage match of Champions Trophy 2025 on March 2 in Dubai.
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