Page 10 - Icc Champions Trophy

Champions Trophy: Axar says he wanted Kohli to reach 100 run mark vs PAK

As Virat Kohli neared his century against Pakistan, India's Axar Patel turned into a human calculator, crunching numbers and silently praying he didn't edge the ball at the other end, all to make sure the superstar reached his milestone. Axar walked in to bat with India needing 19 runs to win and Kohli unbeaten on 86. "At the end, actually main bhi thoda maths kar raha tha unke hundred ke liye (Even I was doing the math for his hundred towards the end). I was hoping that I don't edge the ball or something. So, it was quite fun," Axar said in video posted by ICC. However, Shaheen Afridi bowled three wides in the 42nd over, making Kohli's path to the century a bit trickier. At one point, Axar was even booed for taking a single, as fans wanted Kohli to get maximum strike. With Kohli stranded on 96 and India needing just two runs to win, skipper Rohit Sharma cheekily gestured for him to finish the game with a six. Acknowledging the call, Kohli, instead of going for a maximum, elegant

Kohli admits struggles with cover drive after century against Pakistan

Indian batting maestro Virat Kohli admitted that his trademark cover drive puts him in a "catch-22" situation as it has been a weakness lately but playing the shot gives him control over the innings. Kohli crafted a memorable unbeaten century against Pakistan, steering India to a six-wicket win. His 111-ball masterclass featured the cover drive prominently, a shot that has in recent time led to his downfall but remains a signature weapon in his arsenal. "It's a 'catch-22'. I mean, it's (cover drive) kind of been my weakness as well over the years, but I've scored a lot of runs on that shot," Kohli said in a video posted by BCCI. "I think today was just about backing my shots and I think the first couple of boundaries I got were cover drives on the rise, so I really had to just let it go a little bit and take a bit of risk and follow through with my shots. "Because when I hit that kind of shots, then I feel in control when I bat out there. So, it was a good innings for me personally

PCB set to reshuffle coaching staff after Champions Trophy disaster: Report

The backlash due to the poor show in the Champions Trophy, including the humiliating defeat to India, hit the Pakistan team hard and its support staff led by former fast bowler Aaqib Javed is set to be overhauled, according to a cricket Board source. Pakistan lost to arch-rivals India by six wickets in Dubai on Sunday, after their 60-run defeat to New Zealand in the Champions Trophy opener in Karachi on February 19. A well-informed source in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said that Aaqib will be relieved of his duties as interim head coach after the Champions Trophy. Obviously there is backlash over the team's performance in the CT. The Board hasn't decided as yet on whether the team will have separate head coaches (for red and white ball teams) but one thing is certain the current support staff will be overhauled now after the poor show in the Champions Trophy, the source told PTI. "But the way the Board has been changing coaches and selectors since last year, it will be a ...

Attracting sponsors will be PCB's next biggest challenge for Pakistan team

Pakistan cricket is on the ropes yet again, and this time, even attracting sponsors for the men's national team could become a challenge for the powers that be after the abysmal outing in the Champions Trophy. Traditional rivals India thrashed Pakistan by six wickets in their match in Dubai on Sunday, pushing the tournament hosts on the brink of elimination. One day before India delivered a knockout blow to the team, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officials were brimming with confidence following a fantastic turnout at the Gaddafi Stadium for the Australia-England match. "It was an uplifting experience to see people respond and enjoy a match not involving Pakistan," a board official said. "But now, the challenge is to ensure the crowds keep on coming for the remaining matches in Pakistan, because we are hosting such a big event after 29 years," he conceded. The eight-team Champions Trophy is the first ICC event in Pakistan since the 1996 World Cup and there were expectations tha

Sanjay Banger hails Shubman Gill as future leader of Indian cricket team

Impressed by Shubman Gill's range of strokes and technique, former players Sanjay Bangar and Navjot Singh Sidhu on Monday earmarked the 25-year-old as the one who will lead the Indian team's batting in the years to come. Gill made a fluent 46 in India's six-wicket win over Pakistan in the Champions Trophy here on Sunday, following up his classy match-winning hundred in their tournament opener against Bangladesh. "Clearly, he's the guy who is going to shoulder the responsibility of the Indian team going forward in years to come," Bangar said JioHotstar. Speaking about the 25-year-old's technique, Bangar said, "(His) foundations are really, really strong and add to that the confidence of nearly two-and-a-half years of performing in one-day cricket. In one-day cricket, he's been phenomenal." "Now look, the straight drive, the on-drive are the shots wherein you cannot actually hit the ball really hard. But here, he was hitting the ball so hard that despite the mid-off and the mid-on ..

Kohli's unmatched pressure handling earns praise from BCCI, IPL brass

Virat Kohli provides unmatched stability to the Indian team, according to former Sports Minister Anurag Thakur and BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla, who felt the superstar batter displayed exceptional composure under pressure during his century against Pakistan. Kohli's majestic unbeaten century was the backbone of India's six-wicket victory over Pakistan in the Champions Trophy. "Virat Kohli has shown how to handle the pressure and how to play for the country. Through his outstanding innings, Virat has won many hearts and the match for the country," former BCCI President Thakur told PTI. "If you look at Virat's innings, he never went outright for the century. For him, the priority was India's win. He was rotating the strike, not going for his own runs only. "He wanted to play till the last and win the match for India.That is a big thing about Kohli. For big players like him individual innings is not very important, it's country's victory that matters," he added. After India's ..

Champions Trophy 2025 live streaming: Where to watch BAN vs NZ live match?

Jio Hotstar in India will stream the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 match between Bangladesh and New Zealand on their app and website. Kiwis elected to bowl first in Rawalpindi

Love to take on bowlers, easy to steady ship if we take charge: Iyer

Giving a peek into his mindset when faced with high-pressure situations, India batter Shreyas Iyer has said that he likes to be aggressive to "steady the ship", something that he demonstrated quite well in the Champions Trophy win over arch-foes Pakistan after making a sedate start. Iyer's 56 off 67 was the perfect supporting act to Virat Kohli's unbeaten 100 as India chased a 242-run target with more than seven overs to spare on Sunday night. The win has pushed Pakistan to the brink of elimination and taken India within touching distance of a semifinal berth. "I love to take on the bowlers when we are under pressure. And that is my mindset. If we take charge, if we gain the momentum towards us, then it is easy to steady the ship," Iyer said in the post-match press conference. "And from there on, the rest of the batsmen, when they come in, it becomes easy for them." He expected India to take way less than the 42.3 overs that the side consumed for the six-wicket victory. "I think w

Kohli will play for next 2-3 years and score another 10 to 15 tons: Sidhu

Virat Kohli's unwavering resilience over the past six months, capped by his unbeaten century against Pakistan, has convinced former cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu that the "once-in-a-generation" player will continue playing for another two to three years. Kohli roared back to form in sensational fashion, smashing his 51st ODI ton to help India secure a six-wicket victory over arch-rivals Pakistan, all but sealing their place in the Champions Trophy semifinals. "Character is not made in a crisis, it is exhibited. This is a man with pedigree, with passion. And after this 100, I can say it with conviction that this man is playing for the next 2 or 3 years and he is getting another 10 or 15 hundreds," Sidhu said on JioHotstar. "That, you take it from me. Because, you see, the ultimate litmus test for anyone is how he goes through the adverse times, how he embraces adversity." Kohli's Test performances have significantly declined since 2020, and his place in the red-ball side was question

Bangladesh vs New Zealand: Head-to-Head stats in ICC Champions Trophy

Bangladesh faced a tough challenge in their opener, losing by 6 wickets to India. Despite a valiant century from Towhid Hridoy, Bangladesh managed just 265 runs, which India easily chased down.

Champions Trophy BAN vs NZ: Pitch report, key stats of Rawalpindi Stadium

New Zealand, with a win against Bangladesh at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, can confirm their place in the knockout stage of the event

Champions Trophy, BAN vs NZ: Check Bangladesh, New Zealand playing 11 today

Santner confirmed two significant changes for his side - the return of Rachin Ravindra and the inclusion of Kyle Jamieson in place of Nathan Smith

Champions Trophy 2025 Points table: India, New Zealand, Pakistan rankings

Check ICC Champions Trophy 2025 points table for Group A and Group B. The top 2 teams from each group will qualify for the semifinals

Bangladesh vs New Zealand HIGHLIGHTS, Champions Trophy 2025: Rachin-Bracewell shine as NZ beat BAN

Bangladesh vs New Zealand HIGHLIGHTS: New Zealand, with this win has confirmed their semifinal berth from Group A alongside India

Virat and Rohit should be allowed to decide their future: Sarfaraz Ahmed

Indian superstars Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma should be allowed to continue playing and decide their future in international cricket, believes former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed. Questions loomed over the future of India's captain Rohit and senior batter Kohli after consecutive Test series loss to New Zealand and Australia, where both struggled to get going. "People should not even talk about Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Their performances have been outstanding for India," Ahmed told reporters here on Sunday. "Virat Kohli has won those matches for India, and I have seen it with my own eyes, you can't imagine, the kind of performances he has produced for India. "The same goes for Rohit Sharma. The way he is leading the team. He led the team outstandingly in the 2023 (ODI) World Cup and won the T20 World Cup." Ahmed said Virat and Rohit will say their goodbyes to cricket when they think is the right time but until then, India should make their teams "around them". "Let them p

At 36 years, it takes a lot out of me to put in that much effort: Kohli

Virat Kohli said his plan was to attack the pacers and take less risk against the spinners in the high-pressure Champions Trophy clash against Pakistan here on Sunday and having steered the team home with a sparkling hundred, his 36-year-old body is happy to get a week-long break before the next game. India's six-wicket win against arch-rivals has almost sealed a semifinal spot for the side and all but knocked the hosts out of the tournament. Kohli got majority of his runs from running the quick singles and doubles as he collected only seven fours in his 100 not out off 111 balls. "At 36, a week off is very good. It takes a lot out of me to put in that much effort," said the superstar referring to the last group A clash against New Zealand on March 2. He completed his 51st ODI hundred with a four off the last ball of the match. Heading into the high-stakes game, Kohli had his fair share of struggles against the spinners. "It feels good to bat in that manner in an important game, w

Champions Trophy: Kohli becomes the fastest player to reach 14000 ODI runs

Kohli became only the third batter overall and the second Indian after India's Sachin Tendulkar and Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara to reach this milestone

India-Pakistan CT clash breaks viewership record at 602 mn on JioHotstar

The India-Pakistan match in Dubai at the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy on Sunday turned out to be a mega blockbuster touching a record viewership of 60.2 crore on the streaming platform of the newly created platform JioHotstar. The peak concurrency, which is the highest number of viewers during a live stream, for the Indo-Pak match on JioHotstar, formed by the merger of erstwhile platforms JioCinema and Disney +HotStar, was 60.2 crore when Virat Kohli hit the winning runs chasing a target of 241 runs. Kohli himself completed his 51st century with the last stroke, keeping viewers absorbed. When the first over of the match was bowled by Mohammed Shami, the viewership jumped to 6.8 crore at the end of it and kept increasing through the match. The viewership reached 32.1 crore in the last over of Pakistan's innings and reached 32.2 crore during the innings break. When India began their run chase, the viewership increased to 33.8 crore and remained stable at 36.2 crore for a substantia

IND vs PAK: Pandya flaunts luxury watch during Babar's wicket celebration

Pandya took two wickets for 31 runs to stop Pakistan on a modest total of 241 runs in Dubai

Is PAK knocked out of CT 2025? Here's Pakistan semis qualification scenario

Pakistan will have to rely on both India and Bangladesh if they wish to qualify for the semifinals of ICC Champions Trophy 2025