Champions Trophy: Kohli’s Masterclass Guides India to Final with Victory Over Australia

India Clinches Four-Wicket Win as Kohli’s Vintage 84 Sets Up a Thrilling Chase in Dubai

Dubai, March 5 – In a high-intensity semi-final clash at the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, India secured a dramatic four-wicket victory over Australia, booking their place in the final of the prestigious tournament. The legendary Virat Kohli once again delivered under pressure, rolling back the years with a sublime 84-run knock, ensuring that India successfully chased down Australia’s 265-run target at the Dubai International Stadium.

The match saw Australia, batting first, post the highest total of the tournament at the venue (264 all out), thanks to crucial contributions from captain Steve Smith (73) and Alex Carey (61). However, India, led by Kohli’s brilliance and KL Rahul’s composed unbeaten 42, navigated their way to victory with 11 balls to spare, setting up a final showdown against South Africa or New Zealand on Sunday.

India’s Chase: Kohli Steadies the Ship Amid Early Setbacks

Facing a tricky target of 265, India’s chase got off to a rocky start as they lost two early wickets. However, Kohli and Shreyas Iyer (45) built a crucial 91-run partnership, stabilizing the innings against an Australian bowling attack that lacked its usual firepower due to injuries to key pacers Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood.

Rohit Sharma (28) fell early after being trapped LBW by Cooper Connolly, who was playing in place of the injured Matthew Short.
Iyer looked solid but was eventually bowled by Adam Zampa, shifting the momentum slightly back towards Australia.
Axar Patel contributed a valuable 27, but his dismissal by Nathan Ellis added further tension to the chase.

Despite these setbacks, Kohli, the master chaser, held firm, showing his trademark composure. He survived a dropped catch on 51 when Glenn Maxwell spilled a chance off Connolly’s bowling, but eventually fell for 84, caught at long-on off Zampa, leaving India at 225-5 and Australia with a glimmer of hope.

"Virat Kohli once again proved why he is one of the greatest chasers in cricket history," said former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly in post-match analysis.

Rahul and Pandya Seal the Deal in Style

With Kohli back in the pavilion, the pressure shifted to KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya, but the duo ensured India got over the line without further hiccups.

Rahul remained unbeaten on 42, playing the perfect finisher’s role.
Pandya smashed three sixes in his quickfire 28, providing the acceleration needed to ease the pressure.
Rahul finished the game in style with a six, sending the pro-Indian crowd into a frenzy.

"We knew it was important to stay calm and not let the pressure get to us," said KL Rahul after the match. "Virat set the tone, and we just had to finish the job."

Australia’s Innings: Smith and Carey Rescue After Early Blows

Electing to bat first, Australia lost wickets at regular intervals but kept fighting back with key partnerships.

Travis Head (39) provided a quick start before falling to Varun Chakravarthy.
Smith and Marnus Labuschagne (29) steadied the innings, putting together a 50-run partnership.
Smith and Carey then added another 50-plus stand, with Carey’s aggressive 61 giving Australia a late boost.

Despite these contributions, India’s bowlers ensured Australia couldn’t run away with the game.

Mohammed Shami was the standout performer, finishing with figures of 3-48.
Spinners Chakravarthy and Ravindra Jadeja took two wickets each, applying pressure in the middle overs.
Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel kept things tight, restricting Australia to 264 in 49.3 overs.

"We needed a few more runs, maybe 280 or so would have been ideal," said Steve Smith post-match. "India bowled really well in the middle overs and didn’t let us break free."

A Redemption for India After 2023 World Cup Final Loss

This victory was particularly sweet for India, who avenged their heartbreaking loss to Australia in the 2023 ODI World Cup final in Ahmedabad. In that match, Travis Head’s century had crushed India’s hopes of lifting the trophy at home.

But this time, India turned the tables, ensuring their unbeaten run in the Champions Trophy 2025 continued.

"The past is the past. This was about focusing on today and executing our plans well," Kohli remarked.

With India playing all their matches in Dubai after refusing to tour Pakistan, they now have the advantage of playing the final at a familiar venue on Sunday.

What’s Next? The Final Awaits!

India will face either South Africa or New Zealand in the Champions Trophy final on Sunday.
Can India lift their first ICC trophy since 2013?
Will South Africa or New Zealand break their World Cup jinx and set up another thriller?

The second semi-final takes place on Wednesday in Lahore, where South Africa and New Zealand battle for the remaining spot in the final.

"We’ll watch that game closely, but for now, we’ll enjoy this victory and prepare for the final," said India’s captain Rohit Sharma.