Champions Trophy 2025 Ind vs Pak: India’s commanding six-wicket victory over Pakistan in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 triggered strong reactions in the Pakistani media, with newspapers and digital platforms acknowledging Virat Kohli’s brilliance. The high-voltage clash, held at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on February 23, 2025, saw Kohli’s unbeaten century guiding India to a comfortable win, leaving Pakistan’s title defense in jeopardy.
‘Virat Does a Kohli’ – Pakistani Media Hails Indian Star
Pakistani media headlines reflected both admiration for Virat Kohli and disappointment over Pakistan’s lackluster performance. Leading English daily Dawn headlined its match report as “Champions Trophy: Virat Does a Kohli, Powers India to Easy Win Over Pakistan.” The publication noted Pakistan’s inability to set a competitive total, highlighting that a target of 270+ would have given them a better fighting chance.
Another major publication, Geo News, ran the headline “Kohli Stars as Pakistan Lose High-Stakes Champions Trophy Clash Against India.” Their match analysis focused on Kohli’s unbeaten 100, which guided India to victory, alongside Shreyas Iyer’s crucial 56-run knock.
Meanwhile, The Express Tribune took a more somber tone, stating, “Champions Trophy: India Outclass Pakistan, Potentially Eliminating the Defending Champions.” Their report underscored Pakistan’s struggle with the bat and India’s dominance throughout the match, emphasizing that the defending champions now face an uphill battle to stay in the tournament.
Pakistan’s Struggles and India’s Commanding Chase
After winning the toss and opting to bat first, Pakistan managed only 241 runs in 49.4 overs, despite solid contributions from Saud Shakeel (62) and Mohammad Rizwan (46). However, India’s disciplined bowling attack, led by Kuldeep Yadav (3/43) and Hardik Pandya (2/31), restricted Pakistan from accelerating in the final overs.
India’s chase was spearheaded by Virat Kohli, who played a match-winning 100 off 111 balls*, cementing his reputation as Pakistan’s nemesis in crucial encounters. Shubman Gill (46) and Rohit Sharma (20) provided a steady start before Kohli took charge, guiding India to victory in 42.3 overs. His century also saw him surpass Sachin Tendulkar as the fastest batter to reach 14,000 ODI runs.
Pakistan’s Hopes Hang by a Thread
With this defeat, Pakistan now faces a do-or-die situation to keep its Champions Trophy campaign alive. The media consensus is that unless Pakistan finds form quickly, their title defense could come to an early end. Meanwhile, India’s clinical win has placed them at the top of Group A, making them strong contenders for the knockout stage.
As the tournament progresses, all eyes will be on Pakistan’s response and whether they can bounce back to avoid an early exit.