India secured a thrilling victory over Australia in the first semi-final of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Chasing 265, India successfully reached 267/6 in 48.1 overs to book a spot in the final.

Australia’s Innings: A Spirited Start but Inconsistent Progress

After winning the toss and opting to bat first, Australia posted 264 in 49.3 overs. Their innings had a mix of solid partnerships and quick wickets, which prevented them from setting a bigger total.

Key moments from Australia’s batting:

• Early Blow: Cooper Connolly was dismissed for just 2 runs in the second over.
• Labuschagne’s Stability: Marnus Labuschagne scored 54 runs off 50 balls, building a foundation before falling in the 23rd over.
• Smith’s Contribution: Steven Smith played a composed 45-run knock before being dismissed in the 37th over.
• Lower-Order Struggles: Despite Alex Carey’s late efforts (27 off 21), Australia couldn’t cross 270.

Bowling Highlights for India:

• Mohammed Shami led the attack, taking 3 wickets for 48 runs in his 10 overs.
• Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy kept the middle overs tight, conceding just 44 and 49 runs, respectively, while picking up crucial wickets.
• Hardik Pandya chipped in with a wicket, while Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel kept the economy under check.

India’s Chase: A Confident Yet Tense Approach

India started aggressively but lost early wickets, with Shubman Gill departing for 8 in the fifth over and Rohit Sharma (28 off 29) falling soon after.

• Virat Kohli’s Masterclass: The star batter played a match-defining innings of 84 off 98 balls, guiding India’s chase.
• Shreyas Iyer’s Support: His 45 off 62 provided stability before he was dismissed by Adam Zampa.
• Axar Patel’s Power Hitting: A quick 27 off 30 helped accelerate the chase.
• KL Rahul’s Composed Finish: The wicketkeeper-batter remained unbeaten with a crucial 42 off 34, ensuring India’s victory with 11 balls to spare.

Australia’s Bowling Performance:

• Ben Dwarshuis and Nathan Ellis were the most successful bowlers, picking up two wickets each.
• Adam Zampa took a vital wicket but proved expensive, conceding 60 runs in 10 overs.
• Cooper Connolly provided an early breakthrough by dismissing Rohit Sharma.

Match Summary:

• Australia: 264 all out (49.3 overs)
• India: 267/6 (48.1 overs)
• India won by 4 wickets

What’s Next?

With this victory, India advances to the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final, awaiting the winner of the second semi-final.