Sports

Champions Trophy: Virat Kohli Expresses Satisfaction with His Performance in Crucial Match

Published

1 year ago

February 25, 2025

Following his impressive 51st ODI century in India’s commanding six-wicket victory over Pakistan, the iconic Virat Kohli expressed his satisfaction with delivering a solid performance in such a significant match, particularly emphasizing his responsibility to navigate the middle overs against the spinners.

Kohli entered the crease after captain Rohit Sharma was dismissed within the first ten overs, forming vital partnerships of 69 and 114 runs with Shubman Gill (46) and Shreyas Iyer (56), respectively, while finishing his innings with an unbeaten century off 111 balls, featuring seven boundaries. Throughout this innings, Kohli also made history by becoming the fastest player to reach 14,000 ODI runs.

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“It feels great to bat in that way during an important match, especially with a semifinal spot at stake, after Rohit got out. My objective was straightforward – to manage the middle overs, avoid risks against spinners, and target the pacers. I was pleased with my approach; it’s how I prefer to play in ODIs,” Kohli remarked.

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“I have a good understanding of my game. It’s about tuning out external distractions and managing my energy and mindset. It’s easy to get caught up in anticipation and excitement during matches like this,” Kohli stated while receiving the Player of the Match award.

During this match, he also surpassed Mohammed Azharuddin to become India’s leading fielder in ODIs. “I kept reminding myself to give my all in the field. I take pride in that. When you focus and put in the effort, things tend to fall into place, and eventually, you are rewarded. Clarity is crucial; when the ball comes at pace, you have to capitalize on scoring opportunities,” he added.

At 36 years old, Kohli praised Gill and Iyer for their performances in chasing down 242 runs with 45 balls remaining. “Shubman performed exceptionally well against Shaheen, and there’s a reason he’s ranked as the world’s number one batter. We needed to secure 60-70 runs during the powerplay; otherwise, we would have been on the back foot throughout the match.”

“Shreyas is also finding his rhythm at number four. He did well in India, and now he’s excelling here too. Everyone has contributed solid innings in these challenging conditions, which bodes well for our upcoming matches,” he added.

With a week off before facing New Zealand on March 2, Kohli concluded by expressing his gratitude for the break. “At my age, a week off is a welcome relief. It takes a lot out of me to exert such effort,” he said.

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Related Topics:Mohammed Azharuddin Shaheen Shubman

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Suryakumar,Gambhir and Jay Shah Visit Hanuman Temple after wining World cup

Published

2 days ago

March 9, 2026

Namma Kudla

Sports: After India’s historic victory in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav, head coach Gautam Gambhir and ICC chairman Jay Shah visited a Hanuman temple in Ahmedabad and offered special prayers. The trio carried the World Cup trophy and sought the blessings of Lord Hanuman after India’s memorable win.

The visit came a day after India defeated New Zealand in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. With this victory, India lifted its record third T20 World Cup title and created history in international cricket.

After losing the toss, India was asked to bat first by New Zealand. India got off to a strong start as Abhishek Sharma played a brilliant innings. He scored 52 runs from just 21 balls, hitting six boundaries and three sixes. His aggressive batting gave India early momentum.

Sanju Samson then continued the strong performance and built an important partnership with Abhishek Sharma. Later, Samson also shared a century partnership with Ishan Kishan, who played a powerful knock. Ishan Kishan scored 54 runs from 25 balls with four boundaries and four sixes. Their partnership helped India cross the 200-run mark by the 16th over.

Although India lost a few quick wickets later, Shivam Dube played a crucial cameo. He scored 26 runs from just 8 balls, including three boundaries and two sixes. His quick runs helped India finish with a massive total of 255 runs for the loss of five wickets. This became the highest total ever recorded in a T20 World Cup final.

Chasing a huge target of 256 runs, New Zealand struggled under pressure. Indian bowlers delivered an outstanding performance to restrict the opposition. Axar Patel took three wickets for 23 runs, while Jasprit Bumrah was the star with four wickets for just 15 runs.

For New Zealand, Tim Seifert fought hard and scored 52 runs from 26 balls with two boundaries and five sixes. Daryl Mitchell scored 17 runs, while captain Mitchell Santner made 43 runs from 35 balls. However, the rest of the batting lineup failed to build partnerships.

As a result, New Zealand were bowled out for 159 runs and suffered a heavy defeat. India won the match by 96 runs and celebrated one of the biggest victories in T20 World Cup history.

Following the victory, captain Suryakumar Yadav, coach Gautam Gambhir and ICC chairman Jay Shah visited the Hanuman temple in Ahmedabad with the trophy. They offered special prayers and thanked the deity for the team’s historic achievement. The visit reflected the team’s gratitude after winning the prestigious global tournament.

Sports

Ishan Kishan Plays World Cup Final Despite Personal Loss

Published

2 days ago

March 9, 2026

Namma Kudla

Mumbai: Ishan Kishan helped India win the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 despite the death of his brother-in-law in a car accident two days before the final.

Because of the tragedy, his father Pranav Pandey could not travel to Ahmedabad for the match. Kishan also wanted to be with his family but stayed with the team due to the responsibility of the final.

In the final, Kishan played a brilliant innings and scored 54 runs off 25 balls. After reaching his half-century, he looked at the sky to pay tribute to his late brother-in-law.

He also took two important catches to dismiss Rachin Ravindra and Tim Seifert of New Zealand national cricket team.

Kishan finished the tournament with 317 runs in nine innings and became the fourth-highest run scorer.

Sports

ICC Men’s T20 World Cup: Pakistan Knocked Out, New Zealand Enter Semifinals

Published

1 week ago

March 1, 2026

Namma Kudla

Mumbai: Pakistan have been knocked out of the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup despite securing a narrow win over Sri Lanka. With this result, New Zealand advanced to the semifinals from the Super Eight group.

In the Super Eight match held at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Pakistan batted first and posted a strong total of 212 for 8 in 20 overs.

Openers Sahibzada Farhan and Fakhar Zaman gave Pakistan a flying start. They added 176 runs for the opening wicket. This became the highest opening partnership in the tournament’s history.

Farhan scored a brilliant 100 off 60 balls. He became the first player to score two centuries in a single edition of the tournament. Fakhar Zaman supported him well with 84 runs off 42 balls.

Chasing a target of 213 runs, Sri Lanka fought hard but fell short by 5 runs.

Sri Lanka had a poor start. Pathum Nissanka was dismissed for just 3 runs. Kamil Mishara scored 26 runs, while Charith Asalanka added 25 runs to steady the innings.

Later, Pawan Rathnayake and Dasun Shanaka played attacking knocks. Rathnayake scored 58 runs off 37 balls with four fours and three sixes. Shanaka smashed 76 runs off 31 balls, including eight sixes and two fours. Their partnership raised hopes of a Sri Lankan victory.

However, Pakistan bowlers held their nerve in the final overs. Tight bowling at the death ensured a narrow five-run win for Pakistan.

Despite the victory, Pakistan were eliminated from the tournament due to net run rate. As a result, New Zealand secured the second semifinal spot from the group.