Virat Kohli, India's premier cricketer, set multiple records while scoring 84 runs off 98 balls during the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 semi-final against Australia at the Dubai International Stadium on Tuesday. This performance was instrumental in India's four-wicket victory over Australia, securing their place in the final of the eight-team tournament. Depending on the result of the second semi-final, India will face either New Zealand or South Africa.

Kohli expertly navigated the chase of 265 runs, maintaining a steady rhythm throughout his innings. Although he appeared poised for a substantial score, he was dismissed by Adam Zampa while attempting an ambitious shot. He received valuable contributions from Shreyas Iyer, who scored 45 runs, and KL Rahul, who remained unbeaten on 42, as India successfully chased down the target with 11 balls remaining. This victory marked India's third consecutive appearance in the Champions Trophy final.

Hardik Pandya also made a significant impact with a quickfire 28 runs off 24 balls, alleviating pressure at a critical juncture in the chase. Although he consumed a few deliveries that raised concerns among the Dubai crowd, he quickly dispelled any anxiety by hitting consecutive sixes off Adam Zampa, ensuring the match's outcome was secure.

At the age of 36, Kohli surpassed the 8000-run milestone in ODI run-chases, achieving this feat in just 159 innings. He is now the second player in cricket history to accumulate over 8000 runs in this format while chasing, with Sachin Tendulkar holding the record at 8720 runs from 232 innings. Rohit Sharma ranks third with 6115 runs. Kohli's achievement makes him the fastest player to reach 8000 runs in run-chases, surpassing Tendulkar by a considerable margin.

Kohli reached this milestone upon scoring his 21st run. Renowned as the 'chase master,' he has scored 28 of his 51 ODI centuries while chasing. In his innings against Australia, Kohli also overtook Shikhar Dhawan to become the leading run-scorer for India in the Champions Trophy, while Chris Gayle remains the overall top run-scorer in the tournament's history.

India lost Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill early

In the pursuit of 265 runs against Australia, India faced early setbacks with the dismissals of Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill. Spinner Cooper Connolly claimed Rohit's wicket, while Ben Dwarshius accounted for Gill.

Subsequently, Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer steadied the innings, forming a partnership of 91 runs for the third wicket. However, in the 27th over, Adam Zampa brought an end to Shreyas Iyer's innings, which had yielded 45 runs. Kohli appeared poised to secure his 83rd international century, but his ambitions were thwarted when he was dismissed while attempting a big shot off Zampa's bowling.

Earlier in the match, Australia, having chosen to bat first, were bowled out for 264 runs. Steve Smith contributed significantly with a score of 79, while Alex Carey added 61 runs. For India, Mohammed Shami was the standout bowler, taking three wickets, while Varun Chakaravarthy and Ravindra Jadeja each claimed two wickets.

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