Synopsis
In an impressive display during the Champions Trophy 2025, Virat Kohli broke Mohammad Azharuddin's record for the most ODI catches for India, achieving 158 catches. This milestone occurred in a match against Pakistan at the Dubai International Stadium, underscoring Kohli's remarkable career.Key Takeaways
- Virat Kohli sets a new ODI catching record for India with 158.
- Kohli surpasses Mohammad Azharuddin's previous record.
- Kuldeep Yadav achieves 300 international wickets.
- Pakistan collapses to 241 runs against India.
- India aims for 242-run chase to reach the semi-finals.
Dubai, Feb 23 (NationPress) Virat Kohli has overtaken Mohammad Azharuddin to claim the title for the most catches as a fielder for India in One Day Internationals (ODIs), achieving a remarkable 158 catches during the Champions Trophy 2025 Group A match against Pakistan at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday.
Kohli, aged 36, secured the record by catching Naseem Shah off a delivery from Kuldeep Yadav in the 47th over. He continued to impress by catching Khushdil Shah in the final over, further enhancing his record.
On the prestigious list, Mohammad Azharuddin holds 156 catches, followed by Sachin Tendulkar with 140, Rahul Dravid with 124, and Suresh Raina with 102 catches.
Additionally, Kohli stands as the third-highest run-scorer in ODIs, trailing only Sachin Tendulkar and Kumar Sangakkara, and is merely 15 runs short of the coveted 14,000 ODI runs mark.
After winning the toss and deciding to bat first, Pakistan started well but struggled to keep up a decent run rate. A 104-run partnership between Saud Shakeel (62) and Mohammad Rizwan (46) was the highlight of their innings, albeit at a slow pace. Despite a promising position at 151-2, India triggered a batting collapse, bowling Pakistan out for just 241 runs.
Alongside Virat, spinner Kuldeep made his mark in history by becoming the fifth Indian spinner to capture 300 international wickets, joining the elite company of Anil Kumble, Ravichandran Ashwin, Harbhajan Singh, and Ravindra Jadeja.
Kuldeep achieved this milestone by dismissing Salman Ali Agha for his 300th wicket in the 43rd over.
India is now looking to chase down the target of 242 runs that stands between them and a semi-final position in the tournament. Under the leadership of Rohit Sharma, the team successfully chased a target of 229 in their opening game against Bangladesh at the same venue but will need to navigate the opening spells from the dangerous left-arm pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi and the young speedster Naseem Shah, alongside the formidable leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed.
