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Axar Patel turned into a human calculator to make sure Virat Kohli reached his century.
Champoins Trophy: Axar Patel celebrates Virat Kohli’s hundred and India’s win over Pakistan (AP)
Axar Patel brought out his inner mathematician as he kept calculations in the back of his mind even while helping inch closer to Pakistan’s total in their ICC Champions Trophy 2025 clash at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday. Virat Kohli was nearing a much-deserved hundred as Axar helped his star senior partner at the crease to reach the triple-digit landmark.
Axar walked in to bat with India needing 19 runs to win and Kohli unbeaten on 86.
“At the end, actually main bhi thoda maths kar raha tha unke hundred ke liye (Even I was doing the math for his hundred towards the end). I was hoping that I don’t edge the ball or something. So, it was quite fun,” Axar was quoted as saying in a video posted by ICC.
However, Shaheen Afridi bowled three wides in the 42nd over, making Kohli’s path to the century a bit trickier.
At one point, Axar was even booed for taking a single, as fans wanted Kohli to get maximum strike.
With Kohli stranded on 96 and India needing just two runs to win, skipper Rohit Sharma cheekily gestured for him to finish the game with a six. Acknowledging the call, Kohli, instead of going for a maximum, elegantly drove the ball to the boundary to bring up his hundred in style and help Indiabeat Pakistan by 6 wickets.
“It was the first time I got to watch a high-pressure game from the dressing room where Virat bhaiya scored a century. I had a lot of fun, and the way he was running between the wickets after fielding for 50 overs is a testament to his fitness,” Axar added.
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Kohli said he shut down “the noise” to compile an unbeaten 100 and become only the third man to make 14,000 runs in one-day internationals.
Kohli’s 51st ton in the format as the knock from the 36-year-old stood out in the high-pressure match as the former captain came into the 50-over tournament with speculation over his cricket future.
“My job was clear – to control in the middle overs, not take risks against spinners and take on the pacers. I was happy with the template, it’s how I play in ODIs,” said man-of-the-match Kohli.
“I have a decent understanding of my game. It’s about keeping the outside noise away, take care of my energy levels and thoughts. It’s easy for me to get pulled into expectations and frenzy around games like these.”
(With inputs from Agencies)
- Location :
Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE)
