The most awaited game of the year in the Champions Trophy took place at the Ring of Fire – the Dubai International Cricket Stadium – on 23rd February. Muhammad Rizwan, captain of the Pakistan side, won the toss and elected to bat first. What Pakistani fans expected to be a treat to watch turned out to be an innings where Pakistan never looked settled or in control.
Pakistan did get off to a decent start, with 41 runs on the scoreboard in 8 overs. However, just when Babar Azam, the star batter and ex-captain, looked set for a big score after hitting five boundaries, he fell victim to Hardik Pandya. His dismissal was the turning point, as Pakistan never looked comfortable from that moment onwards. Soon after, Imam-ul-Haq was run out, ending his struggling stay at the crease, where he managed to score only 10 runs off 26 balls.
Captain Muhammad Rizwan then tried to stabilize the innings alongside Saud Shakeel. The duo managed to put up a 104-run partnership, but it lacked the momentum Pakistan would have liked. They struggled to rotate the strike and find boundaries when needed, as the Indian bowlers did exceptionally well to contain the runs.
Saud Shakeel did manage to find a few boundaries, and just when it seemed that both batters had spent enough time at the crease and were ready to accelerate, Rizwan fell to Axar Patel. After facing 77 balls, he could only score 46 runs, including three boundaries. Shortly after, Saud Shakeel also perished to Hardik Pandya, attempting to find boundaries but getting caught out.
Just when Pakistan needed to push the accelerator, wickets started tumbling. Apart from Khushdil Shah’s 38 off 39 balls in the lower middle order, no other batter could play an impactful innings. Pakistan could only post a total of 241 in 50 overs. Saud Shakeel was the top scorer with 62 runs off 76 balls.
On the bowling front, Kuldeep Yadav once again troubled Pakistan, picking up 3 wickets for 40 runs. Harshit Rana, Axar Patel, and Ravindra Jadeja took one wicket each, while Hardik Pandya bagged 2 wickets with an impressive economy of 3.87.
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India’s dominance in the chase
In response, India always looked in control and comfortably won the game by six wickets. Pakistan failed to take wickets regularly, and India completed the run chase within 42 overs.
Star batter Virat Kohli played a match-winning innings, smashing a century in 111 balls, including seven boundaries. Shubman Gill also looked in impressive touch, scoring 46 off 52 balls, while Shreyas Iyer played a crucial role in finishing the game with a half-century. Dealing with the Pakistani bowlers seemed like no challenge for the Indian batters.
Pakistan also made fielding lapses, dropping catches, and failing to utilize half-chances, further making their task difficult in defending the total.
Among Pakistani bowlers, Shaheen Afridi took two wickets but conceded 74 runs, struggling to contain the Indian batters. Abrar Ahmed was the pick of the bowlers, conceding just 28 runs and picking up one wicket, while Khushdil Shah also managed to take a wicket.
Another disappointment for Pakistan cricket
With another defeat against India, Pakistani fans are shattered and demanding change. This marks the third consecutive ICC tournament where Pakistan has failed to reach the semi-finals—following their early exits in the ICC Men’s ODI World Cup 2023 and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 in USA & Caribbean.
Virat Kohli was deservedly awarded the Man of the Match for his brilliant performance. While India marches forward confidently in the tournament, Pakistan is left with serious questions about its squad, strategy, and overall approach in major ICC events.
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