India secured their third consecutive Champions Trophy final appearance by defeating Australia in the semi-final on March 4 at the Dubai International Stadium. With this victory, India avenged their loss in the 2023 ODI World Cup final, which took place on November 19 in Ahmedabad.
Star batter Virat Kohli emerged as the tournament’s leading run-scorer, playing a crucial knock of 84 runs to guide his team to the final.
Batting first, the Steve Smith-led squad was bowled out for 264 runs, and the Men in Blue comfortably chased down the target.
Besides Kohli’s impressive 84-run innings, Shreyas Iyer played a resilient knock of 45 runs, while KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya also made valuable contributions in the first semifinal.
Fans delighted as India defeats Australia
India was heartbroken on November 19 after losing the final of the ODI World Cup at home against Australia. Since then, fans have wanted India to take revenge on the Aussies in knockout games.
