"Unke hundred ke liye..." - Axar Patel's colossal revelation on helping Virat Kohli hit ton vs Pakistan

Axar Patel shared his experience of watching Virat Kohli hammer his century from the other end during the recent ICC Champions Trophy 2025 group match between India and Pakistan at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai on Sunday (February 23).

During India's thrilling ICC Champions Trophy 2025 match against Pakistan, Axar Patel was mentally calculating every run to help Virat Kohli reach his century in Dubai. The Indian all-rounder walked in to bat when Kohli was unbeaten on 86, and India needed just 19 runs to beat Pakistan.

Axar Patel reveals his role in Virat Kohli’s century during thrilling Pakistan clash

However, a few unexpected wides from Shaheen Afridi made things tricky, and Axar had to carefully plan each run to ensure Kohli got enough strike to reach the three figures. At one point, the crowd even expressed their frustration when Axar took a single, as they wanted Kohli to reach his century.

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Meanwhile, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma signaled Kohli to finish the game with the six from the dressing room. With Kohli on 96 and just two runs required for victory, the dashing right-hander kept his composure and elegantly drove Khushdil Shah through the covers for a boundary, bringing up his century while sealing India's win in the most fitting fashion by six wickets in Dubai.

After the match, the ICC shared a video on its social media handles, where Axar can be seen sharing the detail of the mesmerizing moment at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. The spinner said that he really enjoyed watching Kohli’s century in a high-pressure game.

Axar Patel hails Virat Kohli's fitness after ICC Champions Trophy 2025 clash

Patel also praised the former Indian skipper’s fitness while revealing he was doing quick math to ensure Kohli reached his hundred without any mishaps. Notably, he made 3 off 4 balls and scalped one wicket during India’s thrilling six-wicket win over the Men in Green in Dubai on Sunday.

Axar Patel said in the video, “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.”

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The Indian all-rounder further added, “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.”

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Axar Patel praises Kuldeep Yadav for his hard work at nets

Axar also lauded Kuldeep Yadav, who scalped three wickets against Pakistan, for his triumphant comeback after the injury layoff.

He signed off by saying, “When you return from an injury, it takes some time to get back to full tilt. You find the rhythm only after playing matches."