22,100, 11,84—the ICC Champions Trophy was going well for Virat Kohli. The former India cricket team captain was the engine of the batting lineup. With him at the center, the car was moving smoothly. In two tricky chases, it was Kohli who stood tall. In the semifinal, he was the top scorer and helped the Men in Blue topple their arch-rivals Australia in the semifinal.
Virat Kohli fails in Champions Trophy Final
All was going well. Kohli was set for another masterclass in the ICC Champions Trophy Final. The chase master arrived in the middle with the score being 105/1. Just 147 runs were needed in 32.2 overs. A walk in the park for him, one would think. He’ll chase it down with ease.
That didn’t happen. On just his second delivery. Michael Bracewell bowled an excellent off-spinner. Kohli failed to counter the spin and was hit on the front pad. Umpire Paul Reifel had no thoughts about it. He raised the finger. 1(2), that’s all Kohli could muster in what could be his final ICC event. A perfect campaign that ended in major disappointment and that too while he was in his comfort zone, chasing.
Perhaps this was bound to happen. It’s the law of averages. Just like Rohit Sharma, who had scored just 104 runs in the four prior matches, notched up a fifty in the ICC Champions Trophy Final; Kohli, who had entered double digits in all of the matches before, had to fail at some point. It just so happens that the India vs. New Zealand final had to be the one where he struggled.
Virat Kohli stats in Champions Trophy 2025
| Matches | Runs | Average | Strike Rate | 100s | 50s | Highest Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Final | 1 | 1 | 1 | 50 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Overall | 5 | 218 | 54.50 | 82.88 | 1 | 1 | 100* |
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