The ultimate chase master in one-day cricket, Virat Kohli once again showcased his brilliance in white-ball cricket, silencing doubts over his form with a stunning century against arch-rivals Pakistan in the ICC Champions Trophy. At the Dubai International Stadium, Kohli delivered a run-chasing masterclass, surpassing Ricky Ponting to become the third-highest run-scorer in international cricket while also reaching the 14,000-run milestone in ODIs.
As Kohli’s brilliance all but knocked Pakistan out of the tournament, even fans across the border couldn’t help but acknowledge the sheer dominance of his performance. By Monday morning, Kohli’s heroics had taken over the headlines in Pakistan, with the media reacting to his game-changing innings.
Here’s how Pakistan’s press responded to Kohli’s knockout punch against the Champions Trophy hosts:
Geo News: ‘Kohli stars as Pakistan lose high-stakes Champions Trophy clash against India’.
Dawn: ‘Champions Trophy: Virat Does a Kohli, Powers India to easy win over Pakistan’.
The Express Tribute: “Champions Trophy: India outclass Pakistan, potentially eliminating the defending champions”.
ARY News: India outclass Pakistan in one-sided Champions Trophy clash
For those watching live or on TV, Virat Kohli’s innings was a sigh of relief. The ‘King’ finally spent time at the crease, settled in, and unleashed his signature shots. It had been a while since Kohli gave himself that opportunity, having struggled to find form across formats.
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A revealing statistic highlights Kohli’s feast-or-famine trend. According to CricViz, since 2022, he has struggled in the first 30 balls of his ODI innings, averaging 38.1 with a strike rate of 82. However, if he survives this phase, his numbers skyrocket. In the next 60 balls, he averages 87.4 with a strike rate of 102—proving that once he gets set, he is primed for a big score.
Since 2022, Kohli has been the sixth-highest run-scorer in ODIs, amassing 1,916 runs in 45 matches at 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*.
His dominance against Pakistan in ICC tournaments is unmatched. As per Cricbuzz, Kohli has won five ‘Player of the Match’ awards against them, the most by any player against a single opponent in ICC events.
PNN & Agencies
