India Vs Pakistan Champions Trophy 2025: Did Shaheen Afridi Deliberately Bowl Wides To Deny Virat Kohli His Century?

India Vs Pakistan Champions Trophy 2025: Virat Kohli once again lived up to his reputation as a chase master, guiding India to a resounding victory over Pakistan in the Champions Trophy. Chasing a 242-run target, Kohli remained unbeaten on 100, securing his 51st ODI and 82nd international century. His composed knock not only sealed the win for India but also all but guaranteed the team a place in the tournament’s semi-finals.

A Tight Finish: Kohli’s Race to the Century

The match saw Kohli continue his dominance over Pakistan, crafting yet another century against India’s arch-rivals. However, his journey to the milestone was not without hurdles, as the closing moments of the match saw an intense race against time and circumstances.

As India closed in on victory, Kohli found himself in a tricky situation. With Hardik Pandya at the crease, the equation narrowed rapidly. Pandya struck two consecutive boundaries, reducing the required runs significantly. Additionally, Pakistan pacer Shaheen Afridi’s 42nd over added further unpredictability to the chase.

Shaheen Afridi Bowls Back To Back Wides To Virat Kohli

At the start of the over, Kohli was batting on 87, with India needing 17 runs to win. Axar Patel, Kohli’s partner at the crease, had one clear objective: to ensure that Kohli retained the strike and reached his well-deserved century. However, Afridi’s inconsistent line and three wides in four balls drew criticism from the crowd. One particular delivery down the leg side saw wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan get a glove to it, but Axar hesitated to run, thinking the ball would reach the boundary. When it didn’t, he scrambled for a single, earning a sharp stare from Kohli.

With Kohli back on strike, Afridi delivered an outside-off ball before following it up with a slower bouncer that was deemed a wide. As a result, the equation was reduced to five runs needed, with Kohli on 94. The Dubai crowd erupted into chants of “loser,” accusing Afridi of deliberately conceding extras to deny Kohli his century. Social media users echoed similar sentiments, with fans on X (formerly Twitter) expressing their views on the dramatic over.

Moment of Glory For Virat Kohli

Despite the mounting tension, Kohli once again proved his greatness. With India needing just three runs to win and Kohli on 96, he drove Khushdil Shah’s delivery through the off-side, bringing up his hundred in style. The moment was met with thunderous applause from Indian fans, as their talismanic batter stood tall under pressure.

Instances of Indian batters being denied centuries have surfaced in the past, with the most infamous example being Virender Sehwag’s incident against Sri Lanka. On that occasion, Sri Lankan spinner Suraj Randiv deliberately overstepped while Sehwag was on 99, resulting in a no-ball that ended the game before Sehwag’s shot, which cleared the boundary, could be counted towards his century.

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