Star India batter Virat Kohli never fails to show his passion and hunger for runs whenever he is up against the arch-rivals Pakistan. The same story continued on Sunday when India took on Pakistan in the Champions Trophy 2025, Group A match in Dubai. Chasing the target of 242, Kohli was at his absolute 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 international ton.
Kohli completed his ton with a boundary on the third delivery of the 43rd over by Khushdil Shah, which also turned out to be the winning runs for India. However, during the 42nd over of India’s chase, Pakistan pacer Shaheen Afridi’s act received harsh criticism from the fans.
When Shaheen came to bowl the 42nd over, India needed 17 runs to win while Kohli needed 13 runs to complete his century. The over began with Axar Patel with Axar Patel quickly taking a single and giving the strike to Kohli.
Facing the second ball, Kohli took a single but then Shaheen bowled three wides in the next deliveries. These extras brought the equation down to five runs for India’s victory and Kohli standing on 94. The crowd in the stadium booed Shaheen for deliberately trying to deny Kohli a much-deserved hundred.
Many fans, including Bollywood actor Paresh Rawal, took to X (formerly Twitter) and slammed the Pakistan pacer for lack of sportsmanship.
It was truly a great knock ! @imVkohliAbsolutely surreal to snatch the 51st century from the jaws of Shaheen Afridi’s Wide 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 showing worst ever sportsmanship bowling wides willingly to stop Virat from scoring a match winning hundred.
— Udit (@Merovaeous) February 23, 2025
Shaheen Shah Afridi is playing the role of Hardik Pandya, century nahi banne dega ye Kohli ki…
— पहाड़ी_𝕸𝖆𝖓𝖉𝖆𝖑𝖔𝖗𝖎𝖆𝖓 (@pahadi_mando) February 23, 2025
However, the destiny had other plans in store as Kohli took on Khushdil Shah in the next over and completed his century with a boundary.
“To be honest, it feels good to be able to bat in that manner in an important game to seal qualification. Feels good to contribute in a game where we lost Rohit early, had to put in the understanding of what we learnt in the last game. My job was to control the middle overs against the spinners without taking too many risks, towards the end Shreyas accelerated and I got a few boundaries as well. It allowed me to play my usual ODI game,” Virat said in the post-match presentation ceremony.
India will now take on New Zealand in their last group stage match of Champions Trophy 2025 on March 2 in Dubai.
Topics mentioned in this article