IND vs AUS: Virat Kohli misses 100, gets standing ovation in Dubai; fans call it a 'knock better than a century'

India lost both openers ¡ª Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma ¡ª during the Powerplay while chasing 265 runs against Australia in the first semi-final in Dubai. The team found itself in trouble, and the entire nation pinned its hopes on one man ¡ª Virat Kohli. True to his reputation, he delivered, partnering with Shreyas Iyer to stabilize the innings and keep India in the fight.

The 'King,' however, fell short of a century, scoring a fine 84 off 98 balls. Interestingly, his innings included just five fours and no sixes, with most of his runs coming from singles and doubles. Kohli's crucial knock helped India defeat the reigning World Champions by four wickets, securing their spot in the final.

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Scorecard ?? https://t.co/HYAJl7biEo#TeamIndia | #INDvAUS | #ChampionsTrophy pic.twitter.com/k67s4fLKf3

¡ª BCCI (@BCCI) March 4, 2025

Virat Kohli misses 100 but gets standing ovation

Despite missing his century, the 'chase master' received a standing ovation from the crowd at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium for his match-defining performance, which propelled India into the final of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

Fans react

Following his dismissal, fans flooded X (formerly Twitter) with praise for Kohli, with many claiming his knock was more impactful than a century. One fan wrote, "THE WHOLE CROWD IS GIVING A STANDING OVATION TO VIRAT KOHLI."

THE WHOLE CROWDS GIVING STANDING OVATIONS TO VIRAT KOHLI. ? pic.twitter.com/c1e0VyjYh3

¡ª Tanuj Singh (@ImTanujSingh) March 4, 2025

Another said, "These knocks from Kohli are bigger than a century."

These knocks of Kohli are bigger than a century pic.twitter.com/FfuHMJmwN2

¡ª Pari (@BluntIndianGal) March 4, 2025

"In ODIs, there is Kohli ¡ª then the rest," one user posted.

IN ODIs, THERE IS KOHLI THEN REST. ? pic.twitter.com/Fo6cVxRx6w

¡ª Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) March 4, 2025

Another added, "He plays slow... He plays for milestones... But he always plays for the team's victory. King Kohli's bat speaks louder than words."

He plays slow
He plays for milestones
He plays for this
He plays for that

But he always plays and stays there, and gives his best for the team's victory....King Kohli's bat speaks so loud??¡á? pic.twitter.com/2EArCSlm7H

¡ª TukTuk Academy (@TukTuk_Academy) March 4, 2025

IND vs AUS match summary

After Kohli's dismissal, KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya took charge. Pandya went after Australia's top spinner Adam Zampa, smashing back-to-back sixes to bring down the target quickly. Though Pandya lost his wicket, KL Rahul carried the momentum, sealing the victory with a winning six.

Earlier, Australia¡¯s captain Steven Smith top-scored with 73 off 96 balls, followed by Alex Carey¡¯s quickfire 61 off 57. Contributions from Travis Head (39 off 33), Marnus Labuschagne (29 off 36), Ben Dwarshuis (19 off 29), and Josh Inglis (11 off 12) added valuable runs.

In the bowling attack, Mohammed Shami starred with three wickets, while Varun Chakravarthy and Ravindra Jadeja picked up two each. Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel also chipped in with a wicket apiece.

Teams

Australia (Playing XI): Cooper Connolly, Travis Head, Steven Smith(c), Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis(w), Alex Carey, Glenn Maxwell, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa, Tanveer Sangha

India (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma(c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul(w), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy

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