India’s triumphant run in the Champions Trophy 2025 continued as the team managed to outperform arch-rivals Pakistan in the group-stage encounter between the two nations. The star-performer for the Indian team was ace middle order batter Virat Kohli whose emphatic century paved the way for a comfortable win and helped the team march into the semi-finals of the tournament.
However, the sheer class from the former Indian skipper is not just a product of his skillset and talent, but also the hard-work he puts in the nets. This is evident by the recent statement from Shreyas Iyer– who has observed Kohli on a daily basis and is an ardent believer of thwarting commitment on the field himself.
Shreyas Iyer lauds Virat Kohli’s hunger to score runs for the team
Iyer, who has spent time with Kohli both on and off the field, appreciated the former Indian skipper for his ability to put hard-work on the field. Kohli’s dedication level has always been a highlight of his career. The 36-year-old managed to end his drought of centuries against Pakistan and delivered for the team at a crucial juncture of the match.
“I remember yesterday he had come almost an hour before us for the practice session, he played a few balls…he looked as crisp as he looks all the time. It’s just the mindset that he possesses over the years. He’s always hungry for runs. So, I never feel that he’s struggling for runs, to be honest,” Iyer remarked during the post-match press conference.
Crucially, Iyer and Kohli stood on the crease and developed a partnership of 114 runs for the 3rd wicket. Iyer supported Kohli from the other end and stood on the crease to score crucial 56 runs off 67 balls.
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Pakistan out of Champions Trophy 2025
Kohli’s emphatic unbeaten century led India to a win against arch-rivals Pakistan by 6 wickets. With this, Pakistan’s hopes of qualifying to the semi-finals of the tournament rested on the performances of other teams in the group. However, after New Zealand delivered a crushing defeat to Bangladesh, the defending champions are now out of the tournament. Their last group-stage match against Bangladesh now remains a formality for the team. The two semi-finalists from Group A of the competition are now fixed with India and New Zealand set to advance in the next stage of the tournament.