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The cricketing world was once again mesmerized by Virat Kohli’s brilliance as the former India captain delivered a resilient 84-run knock in the Champions Trophy 2025 semifinal against Australia at the Dubai International Stadium. His performance earned widespread praise, reaffirming his reputation as the ‘chase master.’ However, the highest honor came from legendary cricketer Kapil Dev, who showered Kohli with a remarkable compliment.
Chasing a target of 265 on a challenging Dubai pitch, India found themselves struggling at 43/2 within the powerplay. However, a determined 84 off 98 from Virat Kohli, supported by the middle-order, guided India to victory with 11 balls to spare. Kohli’s stellar performance earned him the Player of the Match award and solidified his position as India’s top run-scorer in the tournament so far.
In an interview, Kapil Dev expressed admiration for Kohli’s temperament and relentless drive for challenges. He went on to praise the 36-year-old as the "greatest among the greats" in ODI run chases, ranking him above MS Dhoni. "I think he has the temperament to take up a bigger challenge, and that is where he gets the energy. He likes to play like that, and very few cricketers have that temperament. But at the end of the day, he has the talent and the class on how to win matches. We know Dhoni used to do that, but Kohli is one step ahead of anybody else," he said.
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