February 24th 2025.
In the thrilling world of one-day cricket, there is one name that stands above all others as the ultimate master of the chase - Virat Kohli. And on a fateful day at the ICC Champions Trophy, he once again proved why he is considered a white-ball cricket sensation. Silencing any doubts over his form, Kohli delivered a stunning century against arch-rivals Pakistan at the Dubai International Stadium. Not only did he surpass the legendary Ricky Ponting to become the third-highest run-scorer in international cricket, but he also reached the impressive milestone of 14,000 runs in ODIs.
As the dust settled and the cheers faded, even fans across the border could not deny the sheer brilliance of Kohli's performance. By Monday morning, his heroics had taken over the headlines in Pakistan, with the media buzzing about his game-changing innings. Let's take a look at how Pakistan's press reacted to the knockout punch delivered by Kohli against the hosts of the Champions Trophy.
Geo News declared, "Kohli stars as Pakistan lose high-stakes Champions Trophy clash against India," while Dawn exclaimed, "Champions Trophy: Virat Does a Kohli, Powers India to easy win over Pakistan." The Express Tribute chimed in with, "Champions Trophy: India outclass Pakistan, potentially eliminating the defending champions," and ARY News simply stated, "India outclass Pakistan in one-sided Champions Trophy clash."
For those fortunate enough to witness the match live or on TV, Kohli's innings was a sight to behold. It was a sigh of relief to see the 'King' spend time at the crease, get settled in, and unleash his signature shots. It had been a while since Kohli gave himself that opportunity, as he had been struggling to find form across all formats.
A revealing statistic sheds light on Kohli's feast-or-famine trend. According to CricViz, since 2022, he has struggled in the first 30 balls of his ODI innings, with an average of 38.1 and a strike rate of 82. However, once he survives this phase, his numbers skyrocket. In the next 60 balls, he averages a remarkable 87.4 with a strike rate of 102 - proving that once he gets settled, he is primed for a big score.
Since 2022, Kohli has been the sixth-highest run-scorer in ODIs. In 45 matches, he has amassed an impressive 1,916 runs with an average of 53.22 and a strike rate of 94.99. His tally includes eight centuries and 11 fifties, with a best score of 166*. And when it comes to facing Pakistan in ICC tournaments, Kohli's dominance is unmatched. According to Cricbuzz, he has won five 'Player of the Match' awards against them - the most by any player against a single opponent in ICC events.
In the end, the world witnessed yet another stellar performance by the one and only Virat Kohli. As for Pakistan, they were left to ponder over what went wrong as they were knocked out of the Champions Trophy by their formidable rivals. But one thing was clear - Kohli's brilliance had once again proven to be too much for any opponent to handle.
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