Rohit Sharma-led India National Cricket Team locked horns with the Mohammad Rizwan-led Pakistan National Cricket Team in the 5th match of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
The match between the teams was hosted by the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday, February 23, and it saw the Men In Blue hammer the Men In Green.
We backed our experience to get the runs – Rohit Sharma
India won the match by 6 wickets against Pakistan as they chased down the target of 242 runs in 42.3 overs, thanks to Virat Kohli’s marvelous century. With the ball, it was Kuldeep Yadav who emerged as a top performer for India as he bagged a 3-wicket haul.
Speaking after the match, India skipper Rohit Sharma lauded his bowlers for doing a great job in the match. He further that they backed their experience and got the job done with the ball. Rohit said:
“The way we started with the ball was superb. We knew it gets slightly better to bat under lights. We backed our experience to get the runs.”
He loves representing the country – Rohit Sharma on Virat Kohli
Rohit Sharma further lauded Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Hardik Pandya, and Harshit Rana. He said:
“Credit goes to guys like Axar, Kuldeep, and Jadeja. They stitch a very good partnership – Rizwan and Shakeel. It was important not to let the game drift away. Not to forget the way Hardik, Shami, and Harshit bowled as well. We’ve played a lot together, this format. It can be quite tricky at times. Axar and Kuldeep stepped up today.”
At last, Rohit Sharma showered rich praise on Virat Kohli and also provided an update on his hamstring injury, which he picked up during the first innings. He said:
“(On Kohli) He loves representing the country. He wants to be out there. We’ve seen it with him over the years. People in the dressing room are not surprised. It (hamstring) is okay at the moment.”
India crushed Pakistan in their last ODI as well
The Men In Blue crushed Pakistan in their previous ODI clash on October 14, 2023, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023.
Choosing to bowl first, Indian bowlers kept things tight, ensuring Pakistan never had the momentum on their side. While Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan provided some resistance, Indian bowlers picked up wickets at regular intervals.
Mohammed Siraj removed Babar to break a solid partnership, and from there, it was total domination from the hosts. Pakistan lost eight wickets for just 36 runs, getting all out for 191. Bumrah was the pick of the bowlers with 2/19, while Jadeja, Kuldeep, Siraj, and Pandya took two wickets each.
While chasing the target, India made it look like a cakewalk and easily clinched the win. Rohit Sharma was sensational, and he ripped into Pakistan’s bowling attack with a brilliant 86 off 63 balls. He attacked Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Shadab Khan with ease.
While Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli departed early, Shreyas Iyer played a great knock of 53* and, alongside KL Rahul, took India to a 7-wicket victory in just 30.3 overs.
