Virat Kohli Century: India Wins vs Pakistan

Aakhir Tak – In Shorts

Virat Kohli scores an unbeaten century against Pakistan, a brilliant win for India!
Kohli’s vintage avatar seen in the Champions Trophy 2025 in Dubai.
Kohli worked hard to overcome his weakness against spin.
Aakash Chopra shares insights on Kohli’s practice session.
With the century, Kohli proves why he is the Chase Master.

Aakhir Tak – In Depth

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Star India batter Virat Kohli was seen at his vintage best, playing a match-winning innings of 100* (111) against Pakistan in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. This batting stalwart had to conquer his spin demons to rise above the odds and script another masterful chase for the Men in Blue, fulfilling the wishes of over a billion cricket fans in India.

The wish of over a billion cricket fans in India was fulfilled as they got to see their favorite sight of star India batter Virat Kohli raising his bat to celebrate his century against Pakistan on Sunday, February 23, in Dubai. Staying true to his tag of being a chase master, Kohli played a magnificent innings of 100* (111), studded with seven fours, to help India climb a mountain of 242 runs successfully and thrash the arch-rivals by six wickets.

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Right from the onset of his innings, Kohli looked at his vintage best, playing every shot with authority as he maneuvered through the field with the utmost ease. This was in complete contrast to his knocks in recent times, where he had looked like a pale shadow of himself desperate to get some runs. Seeing Kohli return to his best, fans were left wondering what exactly he did to find his mojo back after enduring poor form across formats since 2024.

The hunger for a big knock was always there in the eyes of the batting stalwart as he arrived 90 minutes early to prepare himself for the all-important clash. Having been dismissed against spin time and again in recent times, Kohli was determined to work on his weakness by facing local net bowlers in a rigorous practice session to overcome his shortcomings. This dedication to improvement is a hallmark of Kohli’s career.

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Acceptance of Weakness

The former India captain was also seen re-introducing the sweep shot into his repertoire as he played it time and again in the practice nets. Apart from that, Kohli also worked on his backfoot game by going deep inside his crease to play cut shots and push the ball into gaps for singles. This shows his proactive approach to addressing his weaknesses.

Former India cricketer turned commentator Aakash Chopra shared the details of Kohli’s practice session a day ahead of the game and threw light on the thought process of the batting star. Chopra’s insights are valuable in understanding Kohli’s game plan.

“It was interesting actually a couple of shots, wrist spin has been a problem, let’s be honest. Whether it’s Rashid or Rishad, he knows that. There is a problem that’s just there and it’s ailing him. There’s an Abrar, whom he will have to handle against Pakistan. So playing the slog sweep and the sweep shot and going deep inside the crease and then playing the cut shot. And I think, what also plays a role here is that now he knows how this surface is going to react. So you know, these are the areas, I need to target. This is the bowler, I need to play. And these are my strengths as well that if I were to score runs, I will go sweep and slog sweep and also deep inside the crease and cut shot,” said Chopra on Star Sports.

Having refined his skills, the King was all ready to pounce on his favorite opponent as he walked to the crease amid loud cheers from fans demanding some sumptuous shots from his blade. Kohli got off to a good start in his innings as, after scoring a few singles, his trademark cover drive came to the fore, and he moved to 22 (20).

Exorcising the Spin Demons

Kohli’s trial by spin finally began as Abrar Ahmed came on to bowl in the 14th over, and he comfortably started the battle with a single. The contest between the two was expected to be a match-defining moment, as Kohli had been dismissed by wrist spinners five out of his last six innings. He played three dot balls in the over but never for a second looked perturbed, showing good judgment at the crease, playing both off the front foot and back foot. This calm demeanor under pressure is what sets Kohli apart.

As his innings went on, Kohli kept on nudging the ball around for singles and doubles and gradually built on his innings. In between, he collected a couple of boundaries against Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah and completed his half-century off 62 balls. His ability to rotate the strike and build pressure is a key element of his success.

The Kohli of the old had returned, as he whittled away the deficit run by run and brought the game into India’s grasp in no time. His method was simple, ‘go after the seam bowlers and not take too many risks against the spinners but keep rotating the strike’. Kohli stood true to his mantra as he took no risks whatsoever against the spinners and collected occasional boundaries against the fast bowlers to keep the required run rate under control.

Chase Master Arrives to Rule Again

The method worked wonders for him as he carefully crafted his innings and moved towards his 51st ODI hundred, which also brought India to the brink of a victory. Kohli’s only boundary against spin came on the last ball of the match as he used his feet against Khushdil Shah to smash him for a four towards long-off and bring up his century in style. This calculated risk-taking at the end demonstrated his mastery of the chase.

After completing the landmark, the batting stalwart casually took off his helmet and raised his bat to acknowledge the support from the crowd. As a result, Kohli was successful in pulling off another flawless run chase for his side, once again stamping his authority as the undisputed King of run chases. His celebration was a moment of pure joy for Indian fans worldwide.

With Kohli showing glimpses of his vintage self, fans can rest assured of many more classy knocks from his bat, as he looks hungrier than ever to make amends for his poor form in recent times. His renewed focus and dedication promise a bright future for Indian cricket.

Aakhir Tak – Key Takeaways to Remember