Watch: Virat Kohli Touches Axar Patel’s Feet In Champions Trophy 2025

Virat Kohli’s century in the second encounter for India in the Champions Trophy 2025 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) against Pakistan had already helped the blue brigade in getting the qualification for the semifinal.

But the final group-stage encounter against the Kiwis was important for a different reason. Both Australia and South Africa had traveled to Dubai to play the guessing game of who they would face in the semis and what would be the venue.

Watch: Virat Kohli touches Axar Patel’s feet during the New Zealand clash

India completed a comfortable 44-run win against the Blackcaps. Most of the attention in the evening was on the mystery spinner, Varun Chakravarthy, who celebrated his five-wicket haul to pack the Santer-led side for just 205 runs in the second innings.

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But Axar Patel also contributed immensely in the second innings with the ball. With a slower delivery, the Gujarat spinner invited Kane Williamson, on 81 runs, to come at him. But the right-handed batter shuffled forward a long way as the ball sneaked his inside edge and ended in the hands of the wicketkeeper.

Williamson didn’t even turn back to look at it as Axar finished with a wicket on the last ball of his 10-over spell, giving away 32 runs.

But Virat Kohli’s reaction caught the eyes of the spectators and the cameraman as the batter walked up to Patel and touched the latter’s feet to hail him for his heroics. Both burst into uncontrollable laughter and shared a hilarious moment as the video went viral.

Virat Kohli aims for a better show against Australia in the semifinal

The last 50-over ICC encounter between India and Australia came during the final of the 2023 World Cup at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Virat Kohli drilled 54 runs in 63 balls in the contest before getting dragged onto the stumps with the cross seam delivery from Pat Cummins, as the blue brigade lost the contest by six wickets and seven overs to spare.

Kohli is again in a great touch. After a sticky knock in the opening clash against Bangladesh in the Champions Trophy, the Delhi batter drilled an unbeaten knock of 100 runs in 111 deliveries at a strike rate of 90.09, thanks to seven boundaries against Pakistan at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

A blinder from Glenn Phillips at the point region couldn’t help Virat Kohli in stretching the knock against the Kiwis. But he will hope to go big against the Aussies in the semifinal.

Also Read: Pakistan Spinner Bows Down To Childhood Hero Virat Kohli In Special Post After Champions Trophy 2025

When it comes to this opponent, Virat Kohli has smashed 2367 ODI runs in 47 innings at an average of 53.80 and a strike rate of 94, shouldering on eight centuries and 14 half-centuries at the best score of 123 and will hope to carry the same momentum in the semifinal.

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India aims for the 2025 Champions Trophy final

Kohli wasn’t in great touch in the recent Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 down under with just 191 runs in nine innings at an average of 23.75, thanks to the century he made during the first innings of the opening Test at the Optus Stadium in Perth.

But Virat Kohli’s half-century in the third ODI against England at home and the century against Pakistan have brought him back in the old touch, as India hopes to go a step further and meet the winners of the New Zealand and South Africa clash in the Champions Trophy 2025 final.