Following India’s dominant six-wicket win over Pakistan, Shreyas Iyer lauded Virat Kohli’s hunger for runs, credited the bowlers for their disciplined performance, and reflected on his own crucial partnership with Kohli in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
Dubai [UAE], February 24: After India’s comprehensive six-wicket victory over Pakistan in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, Shreyas Iyer hailed Virat Kohli’s insatiable hunger for runs, revealing that the star batter arrived an hour early for practice to fine-tune his game before the high-stakes clash.
“I have never thought of Virat struggling for runs. He is always hungry for runs. Yesterday, he came almost an hour before us for the practice session. He played a few balls, and from the outside, he looked as crisp as always. So, I never feel that he struggles for runs, to be honest,” Iyer said during the post-match presentation.
Kohli’s record-breaking 82nd international century, alongside Shreyas Iyer’s gritty half-century and lethal bowling spells from Kuldeep Yadav and Hardik Pandya, propelled India to a convincing victory over their arch-rivals at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. With this win, India is now one step closer to the semi-finals.
“We Could Have Won Earlier”—Iyer Reflects on India’s Chase
While India comfortably chased down Pakistan’s 242-run target, Iyer believes the team could have sealed the victory even earlier.
“I think we could have won a bit earlier, could have been a more convincing win based on how the wicket was playing. Initially, the ball was coming on well, but as it got older, scoring became difficult. If we had played more aggressively, we could have finished the match sooner,” he remarked.
Bowlers Deserve Credit for Controlling the Game
Iyer also praised India’s bowling attack, especially the spinners, for dictating the game in the middle overs.
“As we know from our previous game here, the wicket is a bit slow and spinner-friendly. The way our bowlers—Axar, Kuldeep, and Jadeja—have been consistently performing is remarkable. Their experience brings a lot of clarity in their bowling,” Iyer added.
Kuldeep Yadav was India’s standout performer with the ball, securing 3/40 in his nine overs, while Hardik Pandya finished with 2/31 and completed 200 international wickets.
“Playing Abrar Ahmed’s Spin Was Tough”—Iyer on His Crucial Innings
Despite his fluent 56 off 67 balls, Iyer admitted that Pakistan’s mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed posed a significant challenge.
“Abrar bowled brilliantly, and I struggled to find the gaps early on. It was crucial to play out his spell and rotate the strike. Once my eyes were set, I relied on sweeps and reverse sweeps to put them under pressure. That strategy worked well, and from there, it was all about building a partnership till the end,” he explained.
His 114-run partnership with Kohli proved to be the backbone of India’s successful chase, taking the team to the brink of victory before Kohli finished things off in style.
India’s Bowling and Batting Dominate Pakistan
Batting first, Pakistan got off to a steady start, with Babar Azam (23 off 26) and Imam-ul-Haq (10) putting up a 41-run stand before quick wickets reduced them to 47/2.
A 104-run partnership between Mohammad Rizwan (46) and Saud Shakeel (62) helped stabilize their innings, but slow scoring and middle-order collapses saw Pakistan getting bowled out for 241 in 49.4 overs.
Chasing 242, India lost skipper Rohit Sharma (20 off 15) early, but Shubman Gill (46 off 52) and Virat Kohli (century) steadied the innings with a 69-run stand. Kohli then joined forces with Iyer, and their 114-run partnership took the game completely out of Pakistan’s hands.
With six wickets in hand and 45 balls to spare, India wrapped up the chase with ease, securing yet another famous victory over their arch-rivals.
With this commanding win, India is now one step away from sealing a semi-final spot in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
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