India’s Virat Kohli throughout fielding in ICC Males’s Champions Trophy semi remaining in opposition to Australia in Dubai Worldwide Stadium, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, March 4, 2025. — Reuters
DUBAI: India beat New Zealand by 4 wickets within the remaining of the Champions Trophy on Sunday in Dubai.
AFP Sport seems at 5 storylines from the 50-over match.
Kohli silences doubters
Virat Kohli silenced the critics over his poor type in Check cricket with an unbeaten 100 in opposition to arch-rivals Pakistan.
Kohli took time to get into the groove on a sluggish Dubai pitch to anchor India’s chase of 242 with key stands.
India’s Virat Kohli in motion in ICC Males’s Champions Trophy in opposition to Pakistan in Dubai Worldwide Stadium, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, February 23, 2025. — Reuters
His mastery of the circumstances, mixed along with his potential to rotate the strike, took India to victory with six wickets and 45 balls to spare.
Kohli was additionally India’s saviour within the semi-final in opposition to Australia when his 84 steered one other profitable chase.
Opposition skipper Steve Smith referred to as the 36-year-old “arguably the best chaser the game has seen”.
Pakistan get together flops
Pakistan hosted a serious cricket occasion for the primary time in three many years and pleasure there was sky-high, regardless of India’s refusal to tour and as a substitute play all their matches in Dubai.
However the Pakistan staff’s poor displaying on the sector deflated the spirits of the cricket-crazy nation with successive losses to New Zealand and India.
Pakistan’s Fakhar Zaman in motion in ICC Males’s Champions Trophy match in opposition to New Zealand in Nationwide Stadium, Karachi, Pakistan, February 19, 2025. — Reuters
That signalled the top of Pakistan’s title defence, and so as to add insult to damage, their dead-rubber remaining group match in opposition to Bangladesh was washed out.
Superman Phillips
New Zealand’s Glenn Phillips lit up the match along with his fielding heroics, notably in opposition to India within the group section for the important thing wicket of Kohli.
New Zealand’s Glenn Phillips in motion fielding in ICC Males’s Champions Trophy remaining in opposition to India in Dubai Worldwide Stadium, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, March 9, 2025. — Reuters
Phillips dived full stretch to his proper at backward level and one way or the other held on to the ball to ship Kohli again for 11 off quick bowler Matt Henry.
Kohli stood in disbelief for just a few seconds earlier than trudging again to the pavilion because the followers in Dubai fell silent.
Social media was abuzz with reactions to the catch, with one fan on X calling Phillips “the Superman of the tournament”.
England captain Buttler resigns
Jos Buttler’s England got here into the competitors off the again of a 3-0 ODI whitewash in India, however piled on a mammoth 351 of their opener in opposition to Ashes rivals Australia.
England’s Jos Buttler walks again to the pavilion after shedding his wicket, caught out by South Africa’s Keshav Maharaj off the bowling of Lungi Ngidi in ICC Males’s Champions Trophy, March 1, 2025. — Reuters
England nonetheless managed to lose as Australia chased down the goal to go away Buttler’s facet on the brink.
Defeat to Afghanistan put England out of the match after simply two matches.
Two days later Buttler give up as England’s white-ball captain after three successive flops in ICC occasions together with their failed T20 and 50-over World Cup title defences.
Smith retires, Rohit would not
Veteran batsman Steve Smith, 35, referred to as time on his ODI profession a day after Australia misplaced within the semi-finals to India.
Smith top-scored for Australia with 73 however his knock was in useless after India overhauled Australia’s 264 and the captain’s innings turned out to be his final within the format.
One other retirement appeared extremely possible after the ultimate with intense hypothesis that India skipper Rohit Sharma would finish his one-day profession in the event that they gained.
Australia’s Cooper Connolly celebrates with Steve Smith after taking the LBW wicket of India’s Rohit Sharma in ICC Males’s Champions Trophy, March 4, 2025. — Reuters
Opener Rohit top-scored with 76 within the remaining and declared afterwards that he was not going anyplace, leaving Indian media stumped and followers relieved.
