Cricket fans in Pakistan showed their admiration for Virat Kohli’s remarkable century, even as his innings put their team’s chances of progressing in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in jeopardy.
In a mix of emotions, Islamabad’s cricket fans chose to celebrate Kohli’s brilliant knock during India’s Group A match against Pakistan, even as the innings nearly sealed their team’s early exit from the tournament. A viral video surfaced showing fans in Pakistan cheering for Kohli after he scored his 51st ODI century, which helped India successfully chase down Pakistan’s target of 242 runs.
Although Pakistan’s hopes of advancing were fading, many fans appreciated Kohli’s performance, prioritizing his spectacular century over the looming elimination of their team. The four runs that completed his century also secured India’s victory in the match.
In a video posted on bcci.tv, Kohli shared his thoughts on his innings: “It’s a bit of a catch-22 situation. Over the years, I’ve been criticized for certain shots, but I’ve also scored a lot of runs from them. Today, it was about trusting my shots. The first couple of boundaries were cover drives on the rise, and I just had to back myself, take a bit of risk, and go with the flow.”
Kohli went on to say, “When I’m hitting those kinds of shots, I feel in control. It was a personal milestone for me, but it was also great team effort.” Kohli also set a new record, becoming the fastest batter to reach 14,000 ODI runs, most of which came while batting at number 3.
Reflecting on the win, the 36-year-old cricketer said, “It’s always great to contribute to a victory. It was essential to perform and secure this win to stay in contention for qualification. Batting at number 3, I always try to minimize risk and get my team into a winning position, especially when it comes to finishing a run chase. My role has always been the same—adapt to the situation and give my best.”
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