Watch: Virat Kohli humorously touches Axar Patel’s feet after he dismisses Kane Williamson in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 match. Fans react with laughter!
New Delhi: A hilarious video has gone viral following yesterday’s ICC Champions Trophy 2025 match between India and New Zealand in Dubai. It was the final group-stage match, with the Black Caps chasing a modest target of 250. Despite wickets tumbling at one end, one batter stood firm, keeping New Zealand’s hopes alive. He appeared set to take the game away from India, but Axar Patel dismissed him on 81, putting New Zealand in serious trouble.
As the players gathered to celebrate Axar’s crucial wicket, Kohli playfully approached him and attempted to touch his feet in admiration. The spinner quickly stopped him, and the lighthearted moment ended with laughter among the teammates.
Varun Chakravarthy delivered a stellar performance, claiming a five-wicket haul (5 for 42) as India secured a 44-run victory over New Zealand in their final Group A match in Dubai. With this win, India topped the group standings and set up a high-stakes semi-final clash against Australia, who finished second in Group B.
Chasing a 250-run target, the Black Caps were bowled out for 205. Kuldeep Yadav impressed with two wickets, while Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, and Ravindra Jadeja chipped in with one wicket each to seal India’s victory.
Virat Kohli trying to touch feet of axar patel? 😂😂pic.twitter.com/KFL5un4U3h
— अभि 🇮🇳 (@abhi7781_) March 2, 2025
Earlier, Shreyas Iyer played a crucial knock of 79, supported by Hardik Pandya’s 45 and Axar Patel’s 42, helping India reach 249 for 9 after being invited to bat first. India struggled early, losing Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, and Virat Kohli with just 30 runs on the board. However, a 98-run partnership between Iyer and Axar Patel steadied the innings. For New Zealand, Matt Henry was the standout bowler, registering a brilliant five-wicket haul (5 for 42).
Varun Chakravarthy was named Player of the Match for his maiden five-wicket haul in just his second ODI game.
“At first, I felt nervous in the initial stages. I haven’t played many matches for India in the ODI format, but as the game progressed, I felt more comfortable. Virat, Rohit, Shreyas, and Hardik kept talking to me, which helped a lot. I found out last night that I was playing, and while I was expecting to get a chance, I was also quite nervous. The pitch wasn’t a rank turner, but if you bowled in the right areas, there was assistance. The way Kuldeep, Jaddu, and Axar bowled, along with the pace bowlers, made it a complete team effort,” said the spinner after the match.
