‘Was doing the math for his hundred’: Axar Patel on Virat Kohli’s ton vs PAK in Champions Trophy | Cricket News

As Virat Kohli closed in on his century against arch-rival Pakan in the Champions Trophy 2025 clash, all-rounder Axar Patel started doing mathematical calculations in his head to ensure that his senior teammate reached his 82nd century.
Axar walked into bat with India needing 19 runs to win and Kohli unbeaten on 86. “At the end, actually main bhi thoda maths kar raha tha unke hundred ke liye (Even I was doing the math for his hundred towards the end). I was hoping that I don’t edge the ball or something. So, it was quite fun,” Axar said in a video posted ICC.
While Axar became a human calculator crunching numbers in his head, Pakani pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi bowled three wides in the 42nd over making Kohli’s path to the century a bit tricky. At one point, Axar was even booed for taking a single, as fans wanted Kohli to get maximum strike.

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“It was the first time I got to watch a high-pressure game from the dressing room where Virat bhaiya scored a century. I had a lot of fun, and the way he was running between the wickets after fielding for 50 overs is a testament to his fitness,” Axar added.
With just two runs needed in the 43rd over, Kohli was stranded on 96 and skipper Rohit Sharma cheekily gestured for him to finish the game with a six. Kohli finished the game with an elegant drive through the covers to finish the game and bring up his 51st hundred in style.

With dominant wins over Bangladesh and Pakan, India are all but through to the Champions Trophy semifinals.
(With agency inputs)