‘Virat does a Kohli’: Pakistan media reacts as India triumphs over ‘green shirts’ in Champions Trophy clash

India versus Pakistan Champion's Trophy 2025: In a thrilling encounter at the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, India triumphed over Pakistan by six wickets, thanks to a stellar performance from Virat Kohli. The match took place on February 23, 2025, at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. The Pakistani media quickly reacted to the defeat, hailing the ace batter, headlining their articles as ‘Virat Does a Kohli’.

How Pakistan Media Reacted to India Winning?

One of Pakistan's respected English daily Dawn titled their article as ‘Champions Trophy: Virat Does a Kohli, Powers India to easy win over Pakistan’. They added a strap to the headline that read: India defeat green shirts by 6 wickets; Kohli gets century; Pakistan needed to set target of at least 270 for a fighting change, but they set 242'

Another English Daily Geo News titled their article ‘Kohli stars as Pakistan lose high-stakes Champions Trophy clash against India’. Their strap read: Kohli remains top scorer with unbeaten 100 runs following Iyer's 56 off 67.

The Express Tribune titled their article, “Champions Trophy: India outclass Pakistan, potentially eliminating the defending champions”. The article hailed the Babar Azam team as ‘defending Champion’. Their strap read: India beat Pakistan by 6 wickets, after chasing 242 in 42.3 overs. They go top of Group A in the ICC Champions Trophy.

ARY News had a similar headline for their article, however, they called the match ‘one-sided’.

ARY News headlined their article ‘India outclass Pakistan in one-sided Champions Trophy clash’. Their strap read: A masterful century from Virat Kohli, coupled with disciplined bowling, propelled India to a convincing six-wicket victory over Pakistan in a crucial Champions Trophy 2025 match at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday.

IND vs PAK Champions Trophy Match Summary

Pakistan Innings: After winning the toss, Pakistan opted to bat first and managed to score 241 runs in 49.4 overs. The innings was marked by a solid partnership between Saud Shakeel (62 runs) and Mohammad Rizwan (46 runs), but they struggled against a disciplined Indian bowling attack. Kuldeep Yadav was the standout bowler for India, taking 3 wickets for 43 runs, while Hardik Pandya contributed with 2 wickets for 31 runs.

India's Chase: India began their chase confidently, with Rohit Sharma scoring 20 runs before being dismissed by Shaheen Afridi. Shubman Gill also contributed with 46 runs. However, it was Virat Kohli who anchored the innings, scoring an unbeaten 100 runs off 111 balls. This century not only helped India secure the victory but also made Kohli the fastest player to reach 14,000 ODI runs, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar's record.

Key Performances: Kohli's innings was complemented by Shreyas Iyer, who scored 56 runs, forming a crucial partnership that guided India towards their target. India reached 244 runs for 4 wickets in just 42.3 overs, sealing a commanding win.

IND vs PAK Champions Trophy: Milestones Achieved

Virat Kohli became the fastest player to score 14,000 ODI runs, achieving this milestone in 63 innings fewer than Tendulkar.

Kohli also surpassed Mohammad Azharuddin's record for the most catches by an Indian fielder in ODIs with his catch of Naseem Shah.