Virat Kohli delivered yet another masterclass, scoring a crucial 84 to steer India to victory over Australia, securing their place in the ICC Champions Trophy final for the third consecutive time. His composed knock, supported by disciplined bowling and key contributions from the middle order, ensured India successfully chased down Australia’s total of 264 with 11 balls to spare.

Kohli, who crossed 8,000 ODI runs while chasing, anchored the innings after early setbacks. India lost Shubman Gill in the fifth over, and skipper Rohit Sharma, after a brisk 28, was trapped LBW by Cooper Connolly. At 43/2, India were under pressure, but Kohli and Shreyas Iyer steadied the innings with a vital 91-run stand. Kohli brought up his 74th ODI half-century, while Iyer chipped in with a solid 45 before falling to Adam Zampa.

Axar Patel played a crucial role, adding 44 quick runs alongside Kohli, including a big six off Tanveer Sangha. Though India lost Axar and Kohli in the final phase of the chase, KL Rahul (42*) and Hardik Pandya (28 off 24) finished the job in style. Pandya’s three sixes against the leg-spinners ensured a comfortable four-wicket victory.

Earlier, India’s bowlers did well to restrict Australia to 264 on a slow track. Varun Chakravarthy provided the early breakthrough, dismissing Travis Head, while Mohammed Shami (3-48) consistently troubled the Australian batters. Steve Smith played a fighting knock of 73, and Alex Carey’s aggressive 61 gave Australia some momentum, but regular wickets and a brilliant run-out by Shreyas Iyer kept them in check.

Brief Scores:

🔹 Australia: 264 all out in 49.3 overs (Steve Smith 73, Alex Carey 61; Mohammed Shami 3-48)
🔹 India: 267/6 in 48.1 overs (Virat Kohli 84, Shreyas Iyer 45, KL Rahul 42)
🏆 India won by 4 wickets.

For more such interesting updates , Subscribe to The Sports Prince.

Also follow us on instagram for regular updates