Team India's disciplined bowling effort restricted Pakistan to 241 in IND vs PAK Champions Trophy 2025 clash in Dubai on Sunday (February 23).
Opting to bat first, Pakistan stumbled early at 47/2 before Saud Shakeel (62) and Mohammad Rizwan (46) steadied the innings with a 104-run partnership. However, once the duo departed, Pakistan struggled to build momentum, losing wickets at regular intervals and failing to cross the 250-run mark.
Premier all-rounder Hardik Pandya, who took two key wickets, attained two major milestones in IND vs PAK Champions Trophy 2025 match.
After 8 Years, Hardik Pandya recreates his own historic moment
Pakistan won the toss and chose to bat first but struggled early, losing two wickets for 47 runs. This slowed down their innings. During this phase, Hardik Pandya delivered a performance reminiscent of his spell in the 2017 Champions Trophy final.
Pandya provided India with the first breakthrough by dismissing Babar Azam for 23 off 26 balls. KL Rahul took a sharp catch behind the stumps to end Babar's stay. Shortly after, in the 10th over, Axar Patel executed a brilliant direct hit to run out Imam-ul-Haq, leaving Pakistan at 47 for 2.
Hardik bowled six consecutive overs in this match - something he last did in the 2017 Champions Trophy final against Pakistan. Despite playing several ODIs since then, he had never bowled such a long spell.
Besides removing Babar Azam, Hardik also dismissed Saud Shakeel, who was anchoring Pakistan's innings. Shakeel played a composed knock of 62 runs off 76 balls, hitting five fours before Pandya dismissed him.
Hardik Pandya joins elite club with 200th International wicket in IND vs PAK clash
Hardik Pandya delivered a stellar performance in IND vs PAK Champions Trophy 2025 match, reaching a great career milestone by claiming his 200th international wicket. He achieved this feat by dismissing Saud Shakeel (62 off 76 balls).
Known for his impactful performances against Pakistan, Pandya once again proved his mettle. His international wicket tally now stands at 17 in Tests, 89 in ODIs, and 94 in T20Is, bringing his overall count to 200 across formats.