A humorous but serious exchange between India captain Rohit Sharma and top batter Virat Kohli has captured social media’s imagination. The exchange took place when Ravindra Jadeja came out to bat with six runs remaining for India to make it to the Champions Trophy final. Although the equation was easy, there was tension in the air among Indian fans, and the dressing room was no different.
A video uploaded by BCCI showed the opposite emotions—Kohli looked calm, but Rohit visibly nervous as KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya were on the crease. Once Pandya got out, when Jadeja walked in, Kohli, with his signature confidence, said, “Maarne to chhakka hi ja raha hai woh.” His statement depicted his thought process that Jadeja would get the job done in style.
𝘿𝙤 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙨!
A bundle of emotions from a joyous bunch! 🫂
📽️ Presenting raw moments from #TeamIndia‘s semi-final victory over Australia 👌👌#INDvAUS | #ChampionsTrophy
— BCCI (@BCCI) March 4, 2025
Though Kohli did not play the winning runs himself, his masterful 84-run innings stabilized India’s chase, taking them to a clinical four-wicket victory against Australia. His calm innings led India to their fifth Champions Trophy final, affirming his reputation as India’s crisis man.
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With this win, India’s match against the yet-to-be-determined rival will now be played in Dubai rather than Lahore, as Rohit’s men won’t be going to Pakistan owing to security issues. Kohli, who was Player of the Match, was the pillar of the run chase as India chased down Australia’s 264-run score in the last but one over.
Steve Smith and Alex Carey drove Australia’s innings, but their performance wasn’t enough to stop India. Virat Kohli’s innings was well-supported by Shreyas Iyer, who played a crucial role in their 91-run third-wicket partnership after early setbacks.
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India’s victory was significant, considering their struggles against Australia in ICC knockout matches. The Men in Blue had fallen to Australia in the 2015 World Cup semifinals, the 2023 World Test Championship final, and the 2023 ODI World Cup final. This win finally turned the tide in India’s favour, setting up an exciting title clash.
