Virat Kohli played a key role with the bat in India’s six-wicket victory over Pakistan during the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 clash at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday (February 23).
Chasing 242 to win, Kohli slammed an unbeaten hundred (100 off 111) as India overhauled the target with 45 deliveries to spare.
Before the Champions Trophy, there were a lot of concerns over Virat Kohli’s form as he struggled badly in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024/25 and managed to score a half-century in three ODI matches against England earlier this month.
Speaking on his YouTube channel Ash ki Baat, former Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin shared how he did not see those dismissals in Test cricket as any ‘doubts’ and the ODI format being Kohli’s engine room.
“I never had any doubt about Virat’s quality. When we were playing in Australia, people were criticizing that he was nicking the ball in the slips. People should understand that there was grass on the wicket and it was red ball cricket and he was nicking in Test match cricket. And there was so much talk over that. One gets out in the slips, one gets out clean bowled and one also is out as LBW. He was getting out in slips. Okay What is there in that? I don’t read massively into it. Virat’s class has not gone anywhere. I always said Virat Kohli’s engine room is ODI cricket. I am glad he is playing ODI cricket and this well could be his second coming. His confidence will only increase,” said Ashwin.
It was Kohli’s 51st century in the 50-over format. With this knock, he also became the fastest batter to reach the milestone of 14,000 ODI runs. His feat has come in 350 ODI innings, 28 fewer than Sangakkara and 63 fewer than Tendulkar.
“We were saying prior to the match that it could be Virat Kohli’s game and I had a good gut feeling. What an absolute stellar knock by Virat Kohli. 51st ODI hundred and 14,000 runs in ODI cricket, 60-70 matches less than the previous best batsman. What more can I say? He is an amazing player,” Ashwin stated.
Ashwin also highlighted the cover drives hit by Kohli in the match against Pakistan fast bowlers.
“I would talk about one cover drive in the match. He hit the extra cover drive showing that it’s his biggest strength. That cover dive between cover and mid off and the way he caressed the Haris Rouf delivery was fantastic. Another one was where Virat caressed the on the up little outside ball to the left of extra cover for boundary beating the sweeper cover. When Virat Kohli is on song, this cover drive does all the talking. Virat does not do any of the talking,” he remarked.
