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Kohli roars back, Smith retires: Champions Trophy storylines

Kohli roars back, Smith retires: Champions Trophy storylines

Daily Tribune11-03-2025

Pakistan party flops
Pakistan hosted a major cricket event for the first time in three decades and excitement there was sky-high, despite India's refusal to tour and instead play all their matches in Dubai.
But the Pakistan team's poor showing on the field deflated the spirits of the cricket-crazy nation with successive losses to New Zealand and India.
That signalled the end of Pakistan's title defence, and to add insult to inj ry, their dead-rubber final group match against Bangladesh was washed out.
Superman Phillips
New Zealand's Glenn Phillips lit up the tournament with his fielding heroics, notably against India in the group phase for the key wicket of Kohli.
Phillips dived full stretch to his right at backward point and somehow held on to the ball to send Kohli back for 11 off fast bowler Matt Henry.
Kohli stood in disbelief for a few seconds before trudging back to the pavilion as the fans in Dubai fell silent.
England captain Buttler resigns
Jos Buttler's England came into the competition off the back of a 3-0 ODI whitewash in India , but piled on a mammoth 351 in their opener against Ashes rivals Australia.
England still managed to lose as Australia chased down the target to leave Buttler's side on the brink.
Defeat to Afghanistan put England out of the tournament after just two matches.
Two days later Buttler quit as England's white-ball captain after three successive flops in ICC events including their failed T20 and 50-over World Cup title defences.
Smith retires, Rohit doesn't
Veteran batsman Steve Smith, 35, called time on his ODI career a day after Australia lost in the semi-finals to India. Smith top scored for Australia with 73 but his knock w a s i n vain after In - dia overhauled Australia's 264 and the captain's innings turned out to be his last in the format.
Another retirement seemed highly likely after the final with intense speculation that India skipper Rohit Sharma would end his one-day career if they won. Opener Rohit top-scored with 76 in the final and declared afterwards that he was not going any where, leaving Indian media.

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