WATCH: Virat Kohli shows gesture of sportsmanship as he gifts India jerseys to Babar Azam after one-sided ODI World Cup encounter against Pakistan

Fans witnessed a one-sided encounter between India and Pakistan in the 12th match of the ODI World Cup 2023 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on October 14. The Men in Blue thumped the Paksitan side by 7 wickets and registered their 8th win over the Men in Gree in the history of the ODI World Cups.

Meanwhile, in a heartwarming display of sportsmanship, Virat Kohli, the former captain of the Indian cricket team, extended a gracious gesture to Pakistan’s Babar Azam after the one-sided match. Following the victory, Kohli presented a pair of Indian team jerseys to Babar, symbolizing the spirit of unity and goodwill in the world of cricket.

Watch the video here:

Talking about the match, after Rohit Sharma won the toss, Pakistan was asked to bat. Abdullah Shafique and Imam Ul Haq provided Pakistan with a strong start, putting together a 41-run opening partnership. The first breakthrough came when Shafique was dismissed for 20 runs, trapped LBW by Siraj.

Later, Hardik Pandya dismissed Imam Ul Haq for 36, caught by KL Rahul. But later, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan looked like they were taking the game away from India, with the pair adding 82 runs for the third wicket. During this time, the Indian bowlers appeared to struggle.

However, with the score at 155/2 and Babar Azam at 50, Mohammad Siraj crucially dismissed the Pakistani captain. This marked the beginning of a series of wicket losses, and Pakistan was eventually bowled out for 191 in 42.5 overs. India had taken 8 wickets while conceding just 36 runs, gaining strong control of the match.

Brilliant batting performance by Rohit Sharma

Chasing the target, India faced an early setback when Shubman Gill was removed by Shaheen Afridi in the third over, having scored 16 runs, all of which came from boundary shots – he managed to hit 4 fours in his brief innings. On the other hand, Rohit Sharma maintained his excellent form, delivering an impressive performance with 86 runs from just 63 balls, which included 6 fours and an equal number of sixes.

Kohli also seemed to be in good touch but was dismissed in the 10th over after making 16 runs. Following Kohli’s departure, Rohit Sharma partnered with Shreyas Iyer and together, they put on a substantial 77-run partnership for the third wicket. Just when Rohit was approaching his century, Shaheen Afridi got him out with 86 runs to his name, although by that point, the damage was already done. Shreyas Iyer also reached his half-century and ensured India’s victory by seven wickets.