Former India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has criticized Virat Kohli over an on-field incident during the IND vs PAK match at the Champions Trophy 2025.
Kohli was in stellar form during the high-pressure game, which had become a must-win for Pakistan after their loss to New Zealand in the tournament’s opening match.
Chasing a target of 242, Kohli scored his first-ever Champions Trophy century in the IND vs PAK game the day before in Dubai.
While Kohli’s match-winning knock was widely praised, an incident during the game caught the attention of Gavaskar, who is now a commentator. The incident involved Kohli blocking a fielder’s throw, leading Gavaskar to accuse the Indian batter of obstructing the field.
Gavaskar pointed out that India could have had extra runs since no backup fielder was positioned to intercept the ball.
“There was no backup. The fielder at midwicket would have had to dive, but Kohli had no reason to interfere with the ball’s path. He’s lucky nobody appealed,” Gavaskar remarked.
Former Pakistan cricketer Ramiz Raja also weighed in on the incident, humorously questioning Kohli’s on-field awareness: “And here I was, praising his game-awareness,” Raja said.
It’s important to note that Pakistan’s hopes of advancing in the Champions Trophy 2025 are now slim after losing their first two games to New Zealand and India.
On the other hand, India has won both their opening matches and will next face New Zealand on March 2 at Dubai International Stadium.
Currently sitting at the bottom of Group A, Pakistan’s slim hopes of reaching the semi-finals depend on Bangladesh defeating New Zealand on February 24. Pakistan would then need a comprehensive win over Bangladesh on February 27 to improve their net run rate and collect crucial points. After that, Pakistan will be hoping for an India win over New Zealand, which would keep the Black Caps at two points and a lower net run rate.
