Virat Kohli in runs again as India beat Australia to reach Champions Trophy final in Dubai

Star batter’s 84 guides side to four-wicket victory and will face either South Africa or New Zealand in UAE on Sunday

India's Virat Kohli plays a shot during the ICC Champions Trophy one-day international (ODI) semi-final cricket match between Australia and India at the Dubai International Stadium in Dubai on March 4, 2025. (Photo by Ryan Lim / AFP)

India's KL Rahul (42 not out) and Ravindra Jadeja (two not out) celebrate after the victory over Australia in Dubai. Getty Images

Australia's Cooper Connolly, centre, celebrates the dismissal of India captain Rohit Sharma for 28. AP

India's Shreyas Iyer is bowled by Adam Zampa of Australia for 45. Getty Images

Australia's Marnus Labuschagne of Australia drops a catch off India opener Rohit Sharma. Getty Images

India's Virat Kohli scored 84 off 98 balls including five fours. AP

Captain Steve Smith top-scored for Australia with 73 off 96 balls, including four fours and a six, as his team were bowled out for 264. AP

Australia batter Alex Carey is run-out by India's Shreyas Iyer (not in picture). AP

India's Axar Patel celebrates after bowling Australia batter Glenn Maxwell for seven. AFP

India's Shreyas Iyer takes a catch to dismiss Australia batter Ben Dwarshuis for 19, off the bowling of Varun Chakaravarthy. Reuters

Australia's Alex Carey scored 61 off 57 balls including eight fours and one six. AFP

India's Ravindra Jadeja, left, celebrates with teammate Virat Kohli after taking the wicket of Australia batter Marnus Labuschagne for 29. AFP

Australia batter Steve Smith is bowled by India's Mohammed Shami. AP

India fielder Shubman Gill takes a catch to dismiss Australia's Travis Head. AFP

Australia's Travis Head hit a quickfire 39 off 33 balls, including five fours and two sixes. AP

India's Shubman Gill , right. celebrates with teammate Hardik Pandya after taking the catch to dismiss Australia opener Travis Head. AFP

Dubai International Stadium will stage the Champions Trophy final on Sunday after India clinched their place by beating Australia.

Virat Kohli’s renaissance continued as he played the innings which underpinned the run chase.

He might have fallen short of a second century in the space of three matches in this competition, but his 98-ball 84 turned the game in India’s favour. They eventually sealed the win by four wickets.

The competition has nominally been hosted by Pakistan. But India’s advance to the final will mean five matches will have been staged on neutral territory in Dubai.

The final, which starts at 1pm on Sunday, will be switched from Lahore, with India set to play the winners of Wednesday's second semi-final, between New Zealand and South Africa.

Much has been made of the advantage India have had by being able to base themselves at one venue for the duration of the event.

Fate has handed some change to their opposition too, though. Steve Smith, Australia’s captain, called correctly ahead of the semi-final.

It was the 14th time in succession Rohit Sharma has lost the toss before a one-day international.

Smith opted to have first use of a wicket which has generally been dusty and conducive to spin throughout the competition.

India again went with an attack packed with slow bowlers. Varun Chakravarthy retained his place after his spectacular five-wicket haul on his tournament debut against New Zealand in the previous game.

He did not get the chance to celebrate quite so many times this time around, but the impact he made was just as vital.

Travis Head has been India’s tormentor so often in the recent past, snatching world titles from them. After a tough start at the hands of Mohammed Shami and Hardik Pandya, he had just started to find his range.

The opener had hit 39 from 32 balls before perishing right at the start of Chakravarthy’s spell.

Australia had to steady the ship once Head had gone, and they had the ideal candidate for it in the form of captain Smith. He anchored the innings with 73 and shared in half-century partnerships with Marnus Labuschagne and Alex Carey.

Carey’s 57-ball 61 gave the Australians the impetus required to post a testing total.

It would likely have been more than the 264 they were eventually bowled out for were he not run out by a brilliant direct hit by Shreyas Iyer, which brought to mind Martin Guptill’s dismissal of MS Dhoni in the 2019 World Cup semi-final.

India benefitted from some fortune at the start of their reply. Rohit was dropped twice in the first three overs, both difficult chances, by Cooper Connolly and Labuschagne.

Connolly dismissed him soon after, but Kohli was also granted a reprieve when Glenn Maxwell dropped him when diving to his right at full length.

India were 30-1 after five overs when Kohli entered the fray. By the end of his stay, the score was 225-5 with just over seven overs left.

It was the sort of platform on which Pandya usually thrives. The all-rounder launched two sixes straight over long off from the bowling of Adam Zampa, to both thrill the crowd, and settle their nerves.

Pandya also fell just before the job was done, caught on the boundary rope trying to finishing it with the six required.

Instead, it was KL Rahul who did the needful, launching Maxwell over the rope off the first ball of the penultimate over.