Published: Mar 03, 2025, 11:10 PM (IST)
Edited: Mar 03, 2025, 11:10 PM (IST)
Former India cricketer Ambati Rayudu believes that the key battle in the Men in Blue’s semi-final clash against Australia in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy will be between Virat Kohli and Adam Zampa.
Kohli has been dismissed five times by Zampa in ODIs since 2017, making this a keenly contested match-up on the slow pitch of the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. The India star batter has also struggled against leg-spinners since the start of 2024, getting dismissed 5 times and amassing just 37 runs.
“It’s going to be Adam Zampa versus Virat Kohli (a key battle in the semi-final). Virat has struggled a bit against leg-spinners lately, but the kind of form he has shown in this tournament will serve him well against Australia,” Rayudu said on JioHotstar.
Rayudu also feels that luck wasn’t on Kohli’s side during the match as New Zealand as even though he hit a fantastic shot, Glenn Phillips took a splendid one-handed catch to send him back to the pavilion.
“The intent was there, and expectations were high. You could see in his eyes that he was focused, hungry for a big score. On big occasions, Virat Kohli usually rises to the challenge and gives us those celebratory moments,” Rayudu said.
“Unfortunately, Glenn Phillips took an unbelievable catch to dismiss him. It was just one of those days where luck wasn’t on his side. But hopefully, he converts this hunger into a big innings in the semi-finals. We all want to see him at his best, and he has our full support. Glenn Phillips just spoilt the party,” Rayudu added.
