India all but secured a spot in the Champions Trophy semifinals on Sunday, dismantling Pakistan by six wickets in a lopsided Group A clash at Dubai International Cricket Stadium. The victory, powered by Virat Kohli’s unbeaten 100 and disciplined bowling, underscored India’s dominance over their archrivals and left Pakistan teetering on the edge of elimination.

Chasing 242, India cruised to 244 for 4 in 42.3 overs, with Kohli anchoring the innings with his 51st ODI century off 111 balls. Shubman Gill’s 46 off 52 and Shreyas Iyer’s 56 off 67 provided vital support, though captain Rohit Sharma’s brisk 20 off 15 ended abruptly to a searing Shaheen Afridi delivery. Earlier, Pakistan’s innings faltered at 241 in 49.4 overs, rescued briefly by Saud Shakeel’s 62 off 76 and Mohammad Rizwan’s painstaking 46 off 77. Khushdil Shah’s late 38 off 43 offered resistance, but India’s bowlers held firm—Kuldeep Yadav’s wrist spin yielded 3 for 40, while Hardik Pandya’s 2 for 31 included the prized scalp of Babar Azam (23).

India’s clinical performance follows their six-wicket win over Bangladesh on February 20, where Gill’s unbeaten 101 and Mohammed Shami’s 5 for 47 shone. With four points from two games, India tops Group A, bolstered by a superior net run rate. Pakistan, reeling from losses to New Zealand and now India, faces a near-impossible path to the semifinals, needing wins against Bangladesh and New Zealand alongside favorable results elsewhere.

The match, played under floodlights in a packed stadium, carried the weight of decades-long rivalry, yet India’s composure stood out. Kohli, who became the fastest to 14,000 ODI runs during the chase, remains the linchpin as India eyes a second Champions Trophy title since 2013. For Pakistan, the defeat deepens a troubling slide in a tournament they won in 2017.