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Former India's cricketer Yograj Singh was all praise for Virat Kohli's match-winning performance against Australia in the Champions Trophy 2025 semifinal which guaranteed Men in Blue's entry in the final. Not just Virat Kohli, Yograj Singh also lauded Hardik Pandya's determination to play despite a knee injury. While talking about the brilliance of Kohli's 84-run knock, which steered India from a precarious 43/2 to a successful chase of 265, Yuvraj Singh's father feels the batting juggernaut's dismissal could have been prevented.
Yograj Singh reflects on Virat Kohli's 84-run knock against Australia
Yograj Singh feels Kohli should have avoided that shot which cost his wicket. He also went on to said that Kohli's century would have been wasted had India ended up losing to Australia.
“Virat Kohli is a match-winner, but he should have avoided that shot against Adam Zampa. I wanted him to finish the game as he is like my son. Virat could have scored a hundred, but it would have been wasted had India lost. People shouldn’t target Virat, Rohit Sharma, and Shubman Gill and their criticism should stop,” Yograj said, as quoted by CricToday.
Kohli's strategic approach during his innings proved highly effective in frustrating the Australian team. He showcased exceptional running between the wickets without depending his batting solely on boundaries. This approach allowed India to maintain pressure on Australia, preventing the required run rate from escalating, even though Kohli only hit five boundaries. His ability to consistently rotate the strike and capitalise on singles and doubles kept the scoreboard ticking and ensured that India remained firmly in control of the run chase.
However there were more hands which played instrumental role in India's four-wicket win over Australia. One of them was Hardik Pandya who played a fiery 28-run knock to keep Australian bowlers in check.
Yograj also lauded Hardik Pandya for his impactful contribution to India's win. Pandya's quickfire innings of 28 runs from 24 balls, punctuated by a boundary and three sixes, provided crucial momentum in the latter stages of the run chase. His aggressive batting played a massive role in propelling India towards the winning total. Pandya didn't let the knee injury hinder his innings as he kept bludgeoning Australian bowlers.
“We follow cricket like a religion in our country and it is our duty to back the players, who have been performing for the country. Hardik suffered a knee injury and still continued to play for the team. He hit sixes and people should follow him. Wins or losses are part and parcel of the game. Fans should be positive; if you keep taking down a player, he will not improve,” Yograj added.
