India kicked off their ICC Champions Trophy 2025 campaign with a strong start, securing a six-wicket victory over Bangladesh.
Several star players delivered standout performances, and ahead of their much-anticipated clash against Pakistan, the team was seen practicing at the Dubai International Stadium. During one of the practice sessions, Virat Kohli faced a net bowler who caught his attention with his impressive pace. The bowler, Ibrar Ahmad Dawar, had recently played in the ILT20 for the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders. The 20-year-old UAE-based pacer featured in seven matches, picking up four wickets, with his best figures of 2/27 coming against the Gulf Giants, where he dismissed James Vince and Jordan Cox. Kohli was visibly impressed with Ibrar’s bowling and acknowledged his efforts. In a video shared on social media, Kohli praised him, saying, “Well bowled, bahut acchi bowling, bahut help kiya apne (Well bowled, great bowling, you’ve helped a lot. Thank you).” As for the ongoing match, this marks the sixth Champions Trophy encounter between India and Pakistan. Historically, Pakistan has won three of these contests, while India has won two. The last time they met in the tournament, Pakistan emerged victorious in the 2017 Champions Trophy final. At the time of writing, Pakistan stands at 137/2 after 20.4 overs, with skipper Mohammad Rizwan and Saud Shakeel at the crease, looking to build momentum. Their innings suffered early blows as Babar Azam edged one to the keeper and Imam-ul-Haq was run out.