Top 5 knocks by Virat Kohli in chases in ICC ODI tournaments

India rode on Virat Kohli's stunning 100 not out (his 51st ODI ton) to beat Pakistan in their second match of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday, February 23. The Indians, set a modest target of 242 to chase, were able to knock the hosts out of this tournament with their six-wicket victory.

Kohli was helped immensely by Mumbai's Shreyas Iyer, who contributed with a stroke-filled 56. Earlier, opener Shubman Gill too got off to a start (46) but somehow could not quite make it big. Kohli, however, was the star of the show for the Men in Blue, and showed his class in yet another big run-chase.

Kohli's temperament comes to the fore every time he finds himself in tough situations, and he usually performs at his best when his back is against the wall. The same was noticed in this game against Pakistan when India needed a hero, and Kohli put his hand up, and said, "I will do the job."

In this listicle, we take a look at the top five knocks Kohli has played while chasing in ICC ODI tournaments:

#5 58* vs Sri Lanka, 2013 Champions Trophy

One of the finest knocks Kohli played while chasing in an ICC tournament was against Sri Lanka in the semifinal of the 2013 Champions Trophy. India would eventually go on to win the tournament by beating hosts England in the final. In this game, SL batted first and put up 181-8 on the board.

India responded nicely, and were able to chase the target down in 35 overs with eight wickets still in hand. Kohli led the way with an unbeaten 58 that came off just 64 deliveries and consisted of just four boundaries and one six. Kohli needed to be sedate, and along with opener Shikhar Dhawan (68), helped India chase their target down.

#4 79* vs West Indies, 2009 Champions Trophy

Kohli stood out from the rest of his colleagues right from the time he was a young Turk trying to make his way into the Indian team. In 2009, when he was not even 22 years old, Kohli hit a masterful unbeaten 79 against the West Indies at the Wanderers in Johannesburg in the Champions Trophy to help India chase 130 down.

The Windies batted first and were all out for 129 thanks largely to Praveen Kumar and Ashish Nehra picking up three wickets apiece. In reply, India lost opener (and current head coach) Gautam Gambhir early on, followed by (their former coach) Rahul Dravid, who was run out.

Kohli then stepped up and made his way with a stroke-filled 79. The Delhi batter showed immense maturity and remained unbeaten till the end after having faced 104 deliveries. He hit nine boundaries and two sixes in his knock, helping India chase the target down with seven wickets in hand.

#3 96* vs Bangladesh, 2017 Champions Trophy

Kohli seems to have a knack for scoring big knocks while chasing against Bangladesh, and he brought one out of the locker earlier in the 2017 Champions Trophy. The two teams met in the semifinal of the tournament at Edgbaston in Birmingham, and Bangladesh put up 264-7 after batting first.

India then virtually sailed over the line, with opener Rohit Sharma hitting a flawless ton (127*) and Kohli chipping in with an unbeaten 96. Sharma's fellow opener Shikhar Dhawan too got off to a good start (46) but failed to make it count. In the end, Kohli faced just 78 balls and hit 13 boundaries in his knock.

#2 95 vs New Zealand, 2023 ODI World Cup

One of the best knocks Kohli played while chasing in ICC tournaments was the 95 he piled up against New Zealand in Dharamsala in the 2023 ODI World Cup. NZ were bowled out for 273, with Mohammed Shami leading the way with figures of 5-54. India, set a modest target to chase, lost skipper Rohit Sharma after the first powerplay, and this set the stage for Kohli to weave his magic.

He joined young Shubman Gill at the crease, but the latter got out with the addition of just five runs to their partnership. Shreyas Iyer (33) and KL Rahul (27) partnered with Kohli to set the run-chase up and help India get over the line with four wickets in hand. The maestro eventually got out for 95, having faced 102 balls and hit eight boundaries and two sixes.

#1 100* vs Pakistan, 2025 Champions Trophy

The unbeaten century (100*) that Kohli scored against Pakistan to knock them out of the 2025 Champions Trophy on Sunday, February 23, was perhaps his best knock while chasing in ICC tournaments. He walked in to bat, with India reeling at 31-1, having lost skipper Rohit Sharma for 20.

Kohli then steadied the ship and gently guided India to a famous victory, ensuring that they reached the semifinals of the tournament alongside New Zealand. Shubman Gill (46) and Shreyas Iyer (56) played their roles well in this run-chase, but Kohli was the star of the show for India with his 111-ball knock.