India bagged a four-wicket win over Australia in the first semi-final of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. The match took place at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai on Tuesday, March 4.
After winning the toss, Australia elected to bat first. Travis Head continued his good form, scoring boundaries with ease. His opening partner Cooper Connolly bagged a nine-ball duck. Head went on to score 39 runs off 33 balls before getting out to Varun Chakravarthy.
Steve Smith (73) and Marnus Labuschagne (29) put up a good show in the middle overs. Alex Carey was exceptional in the middle and death overs, scoring 61 runs in 57 balls with eight fours and one six.
Eventually, Australia posted a good-looking total of 264/10 in 49.3 overs. Mohammed Shami scalped a three-wicket haul while Varun Chakravarthy and Ravindra Jadeja with two wickets apiece.
In the chase, Indian openers Rohit Sharma (28) and Shubman Gill (8) lost their wickets early in eight overs. However, Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer had an excellent 91-run partnership for the third wicket to put India on top.
Shreyas Iyer got out for 45 runs while Axar Patel had a brilliant outing, scoring 27 runs off 30 balls. Kohli continued his brilliant run-scoring in the chase, amassing 84 runs in 98 balls with five boundaries.
KL Rahul (42*) and Hardik Pandya (28) were the star players in the death overs, taking India home with four wickets in hand in 48.1 overs.
2025 Champions Trophy Most Runs
Ben Duckett (227), Joe Root (225) hold the top two positions in the run-scoring charts. Indian No. 3 batter Virat Kohli rocketed to the third position, scoring 217 runs from four innings. Meanwhile, Ibrahim Zadran (216) slipped one spot each to the fourth rank.
Shreyas Iyer continues to hold the fifth rank, scoring 195 runs from four innings. Tom Latham (187) slid from the fourth to the sixth rank. Shubman Gill (157) glided one spot down to the seventh spot.
Australian batters Josh Inglis (131), Alex Carey (130) and South African keeper-batter Ryan Rickelton (130) take up eighth, ninth and 10th ranks respectively.
2025 Champions Trophy Most Wickets
New Zealand pacer Matt Henry continues to lead the charge with eight wickets at an average of 15.5. Mohammed Shami ascended from the eighth to the second rank, scalping eight wickets at 19.87.
Varun Chakravarthy surged up from sixth to third rank, pocketing seven scalps at an average of 13. Azmatullah Omarzai (7), Ben Dwarshuis (7), and William O'Rourke (6) slipped two spots each. They made it to the fourth, fifth, and sixth ranks at 20, 20.14, and 23.66 respectively.
Australian spinner Adam Zampa (6) rocketed to the seventh rank at an average of 26. Jofra Archer (6) slipped three spots to the eighth rank at an average of 33.5.
Wiaan Mulder (5) glided two spots down to the ninth rank at an average of 12.2. Michael Bracewell (5) slipped one spot to the 10th rank at an average of 24.
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