Courtesy: BCCI/Instagram
On Sunday, March 2, during the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Group A clash between India and New Zealand, Virat Kohli was spotted on camera, playfully touching the feet of his teammate Axar Patel after the latter dismissed the well-set Kane Williamson. Since then, the antics of the former Indian captain has gone viral on social media, and there are a lot of good vibes in the air for the Indian fans after their team defeated New Zealand convincingly by 44 runs, to finish on top of their group.
Notably, during a low-scoring contest on a pitch assisting the spinners at the Dubai International Stadium, the Indian cricket team posted a competitive total of 249/9 in their allotted 50 overs with a sparkling 79 in 98 from Shreyas Iyer, and a couple of key contributions from the all-rounders Axar Patel and Hardik Pandya. In the run chase, the Indian spinners quartet didn’t allow the New Zealand batters to get any rhythm or fluency in the batting.
Kane Williamson, the former New Zealand captain, was exceptional in grinding out an innings of 81 runs in 120 balls before he played a shot too many against Axar Patel, running past the turning ball before getting stumped by KL Rahul emphatically. After taking the match-clinching wicket of Kane Williamson, the left-arm spinner had Virat Kohli playfully run towards him, to touch his feet in a heartening gesture, which also showcased the happy vibes amongst the Indian players.
Watch the video here:
Varun Chakravarthy took a five-wicket haul on his return to Indian ODI team
Varun Chakravarthy, who was drafted into the Indian playing XI in place of Harshit Rana, picked up a five-wicket haul against New Zealand, to help them win their third straight group game in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. With that, India finished on top of Group A with six points out of possible six, to draw Australia in the first semi-final of the tournament, which will be played on Tuesday, March 4, in Dubai.
In the second semi-final, New Zealand will be taking on Group B winners South Africa at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Wednesday, March 5.
