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As a result of his stable 84-run knock, Virat Kohli ticked off another brilliant run chase to his starry CV and took India to a third consecutive Champions Trophy final.
‘Rather Than Dissecting & Bisecting…’: Gautam Gambhir Slams Virat Kohli’s Critics (Picture credit: AFP)
On Tuesday, India head coach Gautam Gambhir slammed a journalist at the post-match press conference when the individual asked how Virat Kohli got rid of his weakness against leg spinners.
Kohli played another match-winning innings for India in the semifinal of the 2025 Champions Trophy against the mighty Aussies.
As a result of his stable 84-run knock, Kohli ticked off another brilliant run chase to his starry CV and took India to a third consecutive Champions Trophy final.
“Buddy, when you play 300 games, you will get out to some of the spinners. So that’s okay; he’s got a hundred in this competition, he’s got an 80 in this competition. When you’ve got runs in this competition, you will eventually get out to some kind of a bowler,” Gambhir said while speaking to the media at the post-match press conference.
“So, rather than dissecting and bisecting that he’s got out to leg spin. I think when you play 300 ODIs, you will eventually get out to a certain kind of bowler, and that’s okay,” Gambhir added.
Kohli wasn’t able to close the chase against Australia, but his 84 off 98 deliveries went a long way in India, overhauling the 265-run target in challenging batting conditions.
Kohli’s fluent effort included 56 singles and four twos, indicating his perfect fitness level. He was the fulcrum of Indian batting as they scaled down 265 in the penultimate over after Australia skipper Steve Smith (73) and Alex Carey (61) led the Aussies to 264.
Kohli had wonderful support from Shreyas Iyer (45), with whom he made 91 runs for the third wicket and steadied the ship after the departures of captain Rohit Sharma (28) and Shubman Gill (9).
Australia were weakened by the absence of some of their premier stars, but India hadn’t defeated them in the knockouts of an ICC tournament since the quarterfinal of the 2011 World Cup.
Kohli used the pull and drives, two of his most productive shots, to optimum effect. He placed him in the wide arc between sweeper cover and mid-wicket for easy, risk-free runs.
Kohli lost the company of both Iyer, who played some delectable shots and Axar Patel (27) in rather quick succession, but he went past his 50 in 53 deliveries.
India will now face the winner of the second semifinal between New Zealand and South Africa on Sunday, March 9, in Dubai in the final.
For more in-depth coverage of the Champions Trophy, check out the latest Points Table to see where your favorite team stands. Stay updated on the tournament’s top performers with the Most Runs and Most Wickets leaderboards. Keep following for all the latest updates!
