After India's thumping six-wicket win over Pakistan in the Champions Trophy, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia lauded the team for their effort and advised them to not be complacent and focus on the big matches ahead.
Virat Kohli's stunning unbeaten century guided India over the line in 42.3 overs in the chase of 242. His knock was laced with seven boundaries, including his picture-perfect cover drives, reminding his critics of his vintage days.
During the match, Kohli became the fastest batter to complete 14,000 ODI runs and also surpassed Mohammad Azharuddin's feat for most catches for India as a fielder in ODIs. He was named Player of the Match for his dual heroics.
In bowling, Kuldeep Yadav bagged three wickets while all-rounder Hardik Pandya returned with the figures of 2-31 in his eight overs.
"We don't need to be complacent... should focus on the big matches ahead (semi-final and final). The entire team is performing well, Rohit (Sharma) is scoring, Virat (Kohli) smashed a brilliant ton and Hardik Pandya bowled really well. So, we're very happy with the win over Pakistan. 70 per cent of the crowd present in the stadium (in Dubai) was supporting Team India and the atmosphere was electrifying. Everybody is so proud of the team," Saikia told IANS.
After registering consecutive wins against Bangladesh and Pakistan in Group A, the Rohit Sharma-led side will next take on New Zealand in their final group fixture on March 2.
Both India and New Zealand have qualified for the semi-finals from Group A with hosts Pakistan and Bangladesh set to make early exits after consecutive defeats in the tournament.
India and New Zealand last faced each other in an ODI in the 2023 World Cup semi-final, where Men in Blue sealed the tie by 70 runs at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai to qualify for the summit clash.
On the other hand, South Africa, Australia, England and Afghanistan are in the fray for two semis spots from Group B. South Africa and Australia started their campaign with a win against Afghanistan and England, respectively.
India off to winning start at Asian U-15 & U-17 Boxing C'ships in Jordan
India began its campaign at the Asian U-15 & U-17 Boxing Championships with two commanding wins on opening day as Hardik Dahiya (43kg) and Rudraksh Singh (46kg) started off with commanding wins in the preliminary round.
Sr Men’s Nationals: J & K, Chattisgarh in Division C; Chandigarh, Uttarakhand in Division B secure victories on day 4
Hockey Jammu & Kashmir, Chhattisgarh Hockey and Hockey Association of Bihar enjoyed victories in Division C while Hockey Chandigarh and Hockey Uttarakhand won in Division B on the fourth day of the 15th Hockey India Senior Men National Championship 2025 in Jhansi.
Sri Lanka’s 1996 World Cup-winning side gave birth to T20 cricket, says PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that he believes Sri Lanka’s 1996 World Cup-winning side with their aggressive and unique style of batting gave birth to T20 cricket.
IPL 2025: There is a trust factor of relying on each other, says Kohli on bond with Rohit
Talismanic batter Virat Kohli spoke about his bond with his long-time teammate and India skipper Rohit Sharma, saying that there’s always been a trust factor between them as they have relied on each other to do the job of winning matches for the team.
Rohit-Kohli to retain A+ BCCI contracts, Iyer to return but Kishan may remain out: Sources
Indian batting stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are all set to retain their A+ grade contract, which is worth Rs 7 crore in the BCCI's annual player contracts.
Champions Trophy: Spinners, Rohit and Rahul carry unbeaten India to third title win
India's spinners called the shots majorly to pick five wickets collectively on a sluggish pitch, while captain Rohit Sharma top-scored with 76 and KL Rahul stayed calm to hit an unbeaten 34 to give the Men in Blue their third Champions Trophy triumph with a four-wicket win over New Zealand here on Sunday.
Champions Trophy: Kane Williamson to not field in India's chase after picking quad strain
New Zealand’s premier batter Kane Williamson will not be fielding in India's chase of 252 in the ongoing ICC 2025 Champions Trophy final after suffering a quad strain while batting in the first innings at Dubai International Stadium on Sunday.
Champions Trophy: Spinners pick five wickets as India restrict New Zealand to 251/7
India’s spinners called the shots yet again on a slow pitch with just two degrees of turn as they restricted New Zealand to 251/7 in their 50 overs in the 2025 Champions Trophy final at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday.