Rohit Sharma's India is set to clash with Mohammad Rizwan's Pakistan in a Group A match of the Champions Trophy 2025 at the Dubai International Stadium this Sunday. These two teams mainly face off in ICC tournaments and Asia Cups these days. Their last encounter was during the ODI World Cup in India back in 2023.

Let’s recap India’s impressive eight-wicket win in Ahmedabad…

India won the toss and decided to bowl first, which was a bit of a change from their usual strategy against Pakistan in World Cup matches. Historically, they’ve only managed to win once while chasing in these matchups, but with the pitch being slow and low, they aimed to put pressure on Pakistan’s batters. The opening duo, Abdullah Shafique and Imam-ul-Haq, started off steady, with Shafique handling Jasprit Bumrah well and Imam taking advantage of some loose balls from Mohammed Siraj.

The two were working to stabilize the innings, and while they didn’t play any extravagant shots, they showed great composure under India’s early pressure. However, when Shafique fell to a low-bouncing delivery and Imam followed soon after with a misplayed shot against Hardik Pandya, Pakistan’s innings began to falter. Then, Pakistan’s key players, captain Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, teamed up to build a 50-run partnership, bringing some stability back to the innings. Babar notched his first half-century of the tournament, and it looked like Pakistan was regaining control, sitting comfortably at 155 for 2.

The game took a wild turn when Siraj got Babar out. Once Kuldeep Yadav came into play, India found their groove. Kuldeep, who had been on point all match, took advantage of Saud Shakeel’s sweeping habit and got him out leg before wicket. On the very next ball, Iftikhar Ahmed had a tough break, chopping on and sending Pakistan into a downward spiral.

Jasprit Bumrah, who hadn’t taken a wicket until then, really stepped up, taking out Rizwan with a brilliant off-cutter and then knocking over Shadab Khan’s stumps with a blazing delivery. Hardik Pandya got in on the action too, getting rid of Mohammad Nawaz, while Ravindra Jadeja wrapped things up by cleaning up the tail. After a decent start, Pakistan crumbled to just 191 runs, with India’s bowlers sharing the wickets. Bumrah (2/19) and Siraj (1/43) were the standout performers, while Kuldeep and Jadeja were solid in the middle overs.

India's Leading Pursuit

India's chase for just 192 runs kicked off with a bang, thanks to the bold play of Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill. Gill, back in action after recovering from dengue, started his innings with a sharp boundary and quickly followed it up with three more fours in the next over, showing he meant business. Sadly, he was caught at point off Shaheen Shah Afridi not long after, but India was already in a strong position.

Rohit Sharma was the star of the show, taking control and turning the game in India's favor in no time. The Indian captain was on fire, attacking Pakistan’s bowlers with both aggression and skill. In just three overs, he hit four sixes, making life tough for Shaheen, Nawaz, and Haris Rauf. His incredible batting had the crowd in Ahmedabad buzzing. Even after Virat Kohli's quick exit, India kept pushing forward. Rohit raced to a fifty off just 36 balls and soon launched Rauf for his fifth six.

Rohit’s explosive innings came to an end when he misplayed a slower ball from Shaheen, getting caught at midwicket for 86. But by that point, India only needed 30 runs to win. Shreyas Iyer stepped up, playing a steady innings alongside KL Rahul, who provided solid support.

Iyer eventually reached his half-century with a beautiful straight drive to the boundary, wrapping up India’s victory with 117 balls to spare. This win propelled India to the top of the World Cup standings, solidifying their status as the team to beat in the tournament.

The Deadly Downfall of Pakistan

Pakistan's batting started off looking pretty good, but it quickly turned into a lesson in what not to do as they went from 155 for 2 to being all out for 191. The top order gave fans some hope, but the middle order crumbled under pressure and couldn't take advantage of the solid start. India's bowlers were sharp and took full advantage of every mistake, leading to a stunning collapse that ultimately doomed Pakistan.

India's Diverse Excellence

India's bowling attack was on point, with five bowlers sharing the wickets, and Bumrah and Kuldeep really stood out. Rohit led the way with a fantastic 86, which was key in guiding the team to victory. While it was a tough day for Pakistan, India made a strong statement with their performance, keeping their unbeaten record against Pakistan in World Cups intact.

Brief Scores: Pakistan 191 all out in 42.5 overs (Babar Azam 50, Mohammad Rizwan 49; Jasprit Bumrah 2/19, Kuldeep Yadav 2/46) lost to India 192/3 in 30.3 overs (Rohit Sharma 86, Shreyas Iyer 53*) by 7 wickets.

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