Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan acknowledged that the team’s ICC Champions Trophy hopes are nearly over after a six-wicket defeat to India in Dubai. He also defended the decision to include only one spinner in the squad.
India comfortably chased Pakistan’s target of 242 in just 43 overs, with Virat Kohli leading the charge with a brilliant century. After winning the toss, Rizwan chose to bat first, but Pakistan struggled, getting bowled out for 241 in 49.4 overs. Key wickets fell early, with Babar Azam dismissed for 23 by Hardik Pandya and Imam-ul-Haq run out for 10. Rizwan managed 46 runs, while Saud Shakeel top-scored with 62. Other contributions included Khushdil Shah (38), Salman Agha (19), and Naseem Shah (14), but the lower order collapsed, with Shaheen Afridi dismissed for a duck. Despite a fighting effort, Pakistan couldn’t post a challenging total, sealing India’s dominant victory.