NEW DELHI: Modern-day great Virat Kohli reaffirmed his status as one of cricket’s greatest match-winners, securing a record fifth Man of the Match award against Pakistan in ICC tournaments. No other player in history has won more than three such awards against a single opponent, further highlighting Kohli’s dominance in high-pressure encounters.
In the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Group A clash at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Kohli delivered another masterclass, scoring an unbeaten 100 off 111 balls. He finished the chase in style, hitting the winning runs — a four — to guide India to a comfortable six-wicket victory with 45 balls to spare.
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The win put India on the verge of the semi-finals, while Pakistan, the defending champions and hosts, now face an uphill battle to stay in the tournament.
Kohli’s performances against Pakistan in ICC events have been nothing short of extraordinary. His five Man of the Match awards in ICC tournaments include:
- 78* (61) – 2012 World T20, Colombo RPS
- 107 (126) – 2015 ODI World Cup, Adelaide
- 55* (37) – 2016 World T20, Kolkata
- 82* (53) – 2022 T20 World Cup, Melbourne
- 100* (111) –
2025 Champions Trophy , Dubai
Overall, Kohli has scored 778 runs at an average of 59.84 against Pakistan in ODIs, which included four hundreds and two fifties in 17 innings.
With this latest knock, Kohli also reached a historic milestone, surpassing Ricky Ponting to become the third-highest run-scorer in international cricket. He now has 27,503 runs in 614 innings, averaging 52.38, with 82 centuries and 142 half-centuries. The only players ahead of him are Sachin Tendulkar (34,357 runs) and Kumar Sangakkara (28,016 runs).
Additionally, Kohli became the fastest batter to reach 14,000 ODI runs, achieving the feat in just 287 innings, breaking Tendulkar’s record of 350 innings.
Once again, Kohli proved why he is a big-game player. His ability to rise to the occasion and dominate arch-rivals Pakistan makes him one of cricket’s all-time greats. His record-breaking fifth Man of the Match award against Pakistan in ICC tournaments is yet another testament to his enduring legacy.