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Rachin Ravindra struck a superb 112 to lead New Zealand into the Champions Trophy semi-finals with a five-wicket win over Bangladesh and in turn dump hosts Pakistan out of the semi-final race.The result in Rawalpindi also ensured India’s semi-final berth in the 50-over tournament as Bangladesh became the other team from Group A to be knocked out.Both New Zealand and India have two wins from two matches and will now meet in Dubai on Sunday to decide team one and two from the group.”Feels nice to qualify,” New Zealand skipper Mitchell Santner said after the win. “Knew Bangladesh would be a challenge.”Pakistan, who won the previous edition of the Champions Trophy in 2017, lost to New Zealand and then India in the first International Cricket Council (ICC) event they are hosting since the 1996 ODI World Cup.India refused to tour Pakistan due to political reasons and instead are playing all their matches in Dubai, which will host the final if the Asian giants go the distance.New Zealand have been the team to beat in this group after they humbled Pakistan by 60 runs in the tournament opener.Coming in as firm favourites in their second match, New Zealand elected to field first and spinner Michael Bracewell returned career-best ODI figures of 4-36 to restrict Bangladesh to 236-9.Chasing 237 for victory, New Zealand slipped to 15-2 and 72-3 before Ravindra and fellow left-hander Tom Latham, who made 55, added 129 for the fourth wicket.Both were dismissed before the end but New Zealand still achieved the target with 23 balls to spare.The Black Caps had a disastrous start when pace bowler Taskin Ahmed bowled first-match centurion Will Young for a duck.Bangladesh’s new pace sensation Nahid Rana took down Kane Williamson caught behind for five with a delivery bowled at 148.8 km/h (92.4 mph).- Ravindra reset and intruder -Ravindra, who returned to the team after recovering from a nasty blow to his forehead in a recent tri-series match against Pakistan, joined Devon Conway to rebuild the innings.Conway hit back with a flurry of boundaries and made 30 before Bangladesh checked the surge and Mustafizur Rahman hurried one on to the left-hander who chopped on to his stumps.Ravindra stood firm and with Latham, another centurion in the opener against Pakistan, waded his way through the chase and after reaching his fifty bossed the bowlers.Ravindra raised his fourth ODI ton — on his Champions Trophy debut — with a single off Rana and raised his bat to soak up the applause.”He’s doing Rachin things I guess,” Santner said of his batter who hit a hundred in his ODI World Cup debut in 2023.”He loves ICC events. Looks like he never left the game. He wasn’t as fluid as he’d have liked but when he gets going he’s tough to stop. His partnerships were good too.”Ravindra’s knock was interrupted by an intruder who barged on to the field to hug the batter before being escorted out of the ground by security.The young boy, wearing a white shalwar kameez, was carrying a photo of a leader of one of Pakistan’s radical religious parties.Ravindra finally fell, caught at long-on off leg-spinner Rishad Hossain, and wicketkeeper-batsman Latham’s run out added some late drama. But Glenn Phillips, 21 not out, and Bracewell, who hit the winning boundary, sealed victory.Player of the match Bracewell set up victory with key strikes that began with his second delivery to dismiss Tanzid Hasan for 24 and end a strong start by Bangladesh.Skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto made 77 and Jaker Ali 45 in an attempt to put up a competitive total but Bracewell kept getting wickets.”I thought we started well with the bat but we lost wickets in the middle,” said Shanto. “On this pitch we didn’t bat well.” Bracewell was ably supported by the New Zealand quicks with Will O’Rourke collecting two wickets.

Taliban authorities have detained two Britons, a Chinese-American and their Afghan translator, the interior ministry confirmed to AFP late Monday, after the daughter of the British couple called on London to secure their release. “Based on certain considerations, the authorities have detained four people: two British citizens holding Afghan papers, one person with Chinese and American nationality and their translator,” Abdul Mateen Qani, spokesman for the Afghan Interior Ministry, told AFP. “Efforts are underway to resolve this issue,” he added.Qani spoke shortly after Sarah Entwistle, in an interview with British media, called for her government to do “everything in their power” to secure the release of her parents, Peter and Barbie Reynolds, who had been running training programs in Afghanistan for years. British media had reported their arrest, along with a Chinese-American woman and their Afghan translator, on February 1 in the province of Bamiyan, a major tourist attraction west of Kabul known for its giant Buddhas — destroyed in 2001 by the Taliban. Qani refused to confirm the identities of the detainees, or give further details on their condition or the reasons for their arrests. “Details will be released shortly,” he said.Entwistle and her three brothers had initially chosen not to involve the UK authorities “hoping to hear directly from the Taliban about why they’d arrested our parents”, she told TimesRadio on Monday.”Our parents have always sought to honour the Taliban, so we wanted to give them the opportunity to explain their reasons for this detention,” she said.”However, after more than three weeks of silence, we can no longer wait. We’re now urgently calling on the British consulate to do everything in their power to get us answers and to put as much pressure as they can on the Taliban for their release,” she added.The British Foreign Office declined to comment on the couple’s arrest.- ‘Outrageous’ -The Reynolds, who married in Kabul in 1970, remained in Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover in 2021 when the British embassy withdrew its staff.The arrest on February 1 was apparently linked to the teaching of parenting skills to mothers over 30, according to The Sunday Times, which first reported the detention.”My mother is 75 and my father almost 80 and (he) needs his heart medication after a mini-stroke,” Entwistle told the newspaper.”They were just trying to help the country they loved. The idea they are being held because they were teaching mothers with children is outrageous,” she added.The couple were reportedly arrested as they returned to their home in the central Bamiyan province.In an open letter to the Taliban authorities quoted by the Sunday Times, Entwistle and her brothers pleaded for their parents to be released.”We do not understand the reasons behind their arrest,” they wrote.”Our parents have consistently expressed their commitment to Afghanistan,” the letter added.They are not the first foreigners detained by the Taliban authorities. A former Canadian soldier, David Lavery, was released at the end of January after more than two months in captivity, under a deal negotiated by Qatar. A week earlier, two Americans held by the Taliban, Ryan Corbett and William McKenty, were freed in exchange for Afghan fighter Khan Mohammed, convicted of narco-terrorism in the United States. Two other Americans, George Glezmann and Mahmood Habibi, are still being held in the country.Taliban leaders swept back to power in 2021, ousting the US-backed government and implementing a strict interpretation of Islamic law, despite promises not to return to the brutality displayed when they ruled in the 1990s.They have since imposed broad restrictions on women and girls, barring them from education beyond the age of 12 and squeezing them out of jobs and public life with rules the United Nations has labelled “gender apartheid”.

Alex Carey said Australia are excited by the challenge posed by a formidable South Africa when they meet in the Champions Trophy for the first time in Rawalpindi on Tuesday.Australia, winners in 2006 and 2009, chased down 352, the highest target in tournament history, against England in Lahore in a Group B game on Saturday.Carey made a brilliant 69 alongside man-of-the-match Josh Inglis, who scored his maiden one-day international hundred, to seal a five-wicket win.South Africa overwhelmed Afghanistan by 107 runs in a clinical performance in Karachi.”I think South Africa are playing really well in one-day cricket and look like they’ve got a great balance across their 11 players,” the 33-year-old Carey said on Monday.”So, another exciting opportunity for us coming off the back of a great game against England, play with a lot of freedom, take the game on.”Australia and South Africa have never met in the Champions Trophy, and the Proteas hold a clear advantage after winning nine of their past 12 ODIs against them.Australia are also missing world-renowned pace trio Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc.”Look, it’s an inexperienced bowling attack, there’s no hiding away from that. In and around that we’ve got some experience with our leg-spinner Adam Zampa and Glenn Maxwell,” Carey said.The pace trio of Spencer Johnson, Ben Dwarshuis and Nathan Ellis went for 171 runs for three wickets between them in 27 overs as England scored 351-8 in their 50 overs.However, Carey backed a strong Australian batting line-up that includes Travis Head.”We’ve got Steve Smith who’s a fantastic captain,” Carey said. “I think if we are to bat first throughout the tournament, I’ll back our boys to defend.””Travis will try to smack them at the top with Matthew Short. You’ve got Smith and Marnus (Labuschagne) through the middle and then hopefully set it up for Maxwell to go big at the end. “We know they’re a great team… but I feel like our confidence is high and we’re really excited for tomorrow,” he said.The top two teams from each group will qualify for the semi-finals, with hosts Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and New Zealand in Group A.

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have “a lot of cricket left in them”, former India opener and Champions Trophy winner Shikhar Dhawan says, adding that the mere presence of the veteran duo can unsettle any opposition.Kohli hit an unbeaten 100 on Sunday, his 51st ODI century, as India swept aside Pakistan by six wickets in Dubai to stand on the cusp of the ICC Champions Trophy semi-finals.Pakistan, who are hosting all of the games except those involving India, are on the brink of elimination after their second defeat of the tournament.Rohit made a quickfire 20 at the top of the innings as India went after 242 for victory and Kohli took charge after the captain’s exit to steer the team home with 45 balls to spare.Kohli, 36, and Rohit, 37, have struggled for form since retiring from T20 internationals after last year’s World Cup win, with speculation swirling that they could soon retire.But Kohli rolled back the years with his first ODI century since November 2023.”Virat standing on the crease, his presence is big. The opposition have fear in them,” said Dhawan, who is in Dubai as a tournament ambassador.Kohli went past 14,000 ODI runs early in his innings, becoming only the third batsman to achieve the landmark after Sachin Tendulkar and Kumar Sangakkara.Rohit struck form with a century in India’s 3-0 home sweep of England earlier this month and hit a 36-ball 41 in India’s opening win over Bangladesh.”Recently Rohit scored an amazing century, but it’s not about a century or half-century,” said Dhawan, a swashbuckling opener who played his last ODI in 2022 and won the Champions Trophy in 2013.”Today Rohit played a quick 20 runs, that also carries value. He created that fearless environment for the whole team,” he added.”He’s got a great impact in early overs in today’s cricket.”Things have changed, so now it’s good to take that risk and play aerial shots. “We used to see it only in T20 cricket but now we see it in 50-over cricket. “The Pakistan batsmen did not play any aerial shots, but Rohit came and took that risk, which played in India’s favour.”Pressed on the futures of Rohit and Kohli, Dhawan said: “They have a lot of cricket left in them.”Spinner Kuldeep Yadav, who took a crucial 3-40 to peg back Pakistan, hailed man-of-the-match Kohli.”There is only one big player in the team and that is Virat ‘bhai’ (brother), who played a brilliant innings,” Kuldeep said.”Hope that I can continue performing well,” added the left-arm wrist spinner, who recently returned after hernia surgery. “Obviously if you play good cricket, stick around with good players, and you know you have a good team with two senior players who are greats.”

Top-order batsman Saud Shakeel said Pakistan must be better in every facet after a six-wicket defeat to arch-rivals India left the hosts on the brink of a Champions Trophy exit.Shakeel top scored with 62 as Pakistan were dismissed for a below-par 241 in 49.4 overs in Sunday’s blockbuster Group A clash.Tournament favourites India overhauled the target in 42.3 overs with a masterly unbeaten 100 by Virat Kohli.Pakistan are hosts of the one-day event but the match took place in Dubai in front of a packed 25,000 crowd after India refused to travel to their neighbour.”We did not play well in all three departments and that is why this result has come and we have to accept this,” Shakeel told reporters.Pakistan were lifted by a third-wicket stand of 104 between Shakeel and skipper Mohammad Rizwan, who scored 46, but both fell in successive overs in the space of eight runs.Shakeel said those wickets hurt Pakistan.”We are losing wickets in bunches and are not building big partnerships,” he said.He added: “When we were batting the pitch played slow. We tried to bat deep but it did not happen.”I am sure fans will be disappointed, just like we are.”The defeat left Pakistan at the bottom of Group A with two losses in as many games. They now need other results to go in their favour to remain in contention for the semi-finals.”Some things did not go in our favour,” said spinner Abrar Ahmed, but agreed with Shakeel.”We have to change a lot of things within the group.”This tournament is like that — you go out if you lose one match. We have to improve our batting and have to do more work on bowling.”Pakistan face Bangladesh in their last group match in Rawalpindi on Thursday, but both will already be eliminated if Bangladesh lose to New Zealand later on Monday.Pakistan is hosting a major international cricket tournament for the first time in nearly three decades.

Die-hard South Korean fans cheer and clap as their favourite superheroes strike poses in brightly coloured uniforms to the sounds of a soulful Japanese ballad, a nostalgic throwback to the days of VHS.It has been decades since Japanese superhero series “Choudenshi Bioman” was last on TV, but its epic stories of good versus evil still resonate deeply for these South Korean millennials.And while their masked heroes are now well into their sixties, a chance to meet them in person at a sold-out concert hall event this month in Seoul was too good to pass up — even with ticket prices starting at 300,000 won ($210).”Most of us here are office workers, and though the ticket price wasn’t cheap, it wasn’t beyond our means as lifelong fans,” said Oh Myung-hoon, 39.”It wasn’t a matter of choice for fans like me. It was a must.”Part of the “Super Sentai” series, better known to Western audiences as the inspiration for the “Power Rangers” phenomenon of the 1990s, “Choudenshi Bioman” and its companion shows tell the story of a group of people with special powers fighting supervillains intent on world domination.The show was broadcast at a time of Japan’s transformation into a global cultural powerhouse, its animation and film studios producing content seen the world over.But many Korean fans of “Choudenshi Bioman” were initially not even aware the show was Japanese.- Japanese imports banned -For decades, South Korea imposed sweeping restrictions on Japanese cultural imports due to historical tensions stemming from Tokyo’s colonial rule over the peninsula in the early 20th century.It was not until 1998 — more than half a century after Korea’s independence — that Seoul began lifting its ban on Japanese media content.Japanese superhero series — best known in South Korea through “Bioman” and “Flashman” — were among the few exceptions to the ban and imported on VHS tapes, making them a rare and cherished phenomenon in the 1980s and 1990s.Even so, authorities required all Japanese text in the series to be replaced with Korean and the voices dubbed, effectively erasing any trace of their Japanese origins.This allowed the series to thrive in an era when anti-Japanese sentiment remained strong, media columnist Kim Do-hoon told AFP.”The media that dominated my youth was all Japanese, like the animation ‘Galaxy Express 999’, but they had to appear Korean through dubbing,” the 49-year-old said.”The 1970s and 80s were an era of peak anti-Japan sentiment, with the belief that anything related to Japan was bad.”But “thanks to South Korea’s strong cultural exports and vibrant economy” times have changed, he added.Some scenes managed to avoid the censorship and showed Japanese characters in the background — puzzling young Korean kids.Cha Jeong-in, a 39-year-old game developer, admits she was confused by the “unrecognisable letters”.”I asked myself ‘what is it?'” she told AFP.”I later learned it was all made in Japan.”- Good triumphs over evil -For the actors who starred in the hero series, the heartfelt reception in Seoul was both exhilarating and perplexing — especially in a country where Japanese content was once heavily censored. “I had never expected something like this to happen 40 years after filming, so I was really surprised,” said Kazunori Inaba, who played Red Mask in “Maskman”.The 68-year-old former actor, who now runs a ramen restaurant in Tokyo, said it was “difficult” for him to account for the devoted following his decades-old fantasy drama still enjoys in South Korea.”If this work that we did can be a good bridge between Japan and Korea, then we have done a really good job,” he told AFP.”I think heroes are really important, especially when you’re a child. As you grow up, you forget about them,” he said.”But rewatching them can help bring back the memories.”Game developer Cha said she spent $1,500 to come to Seoul from the Philippines, where she now lives.”I thought that if I missed this chance, I’d never be able to see them face to face in my lifetime because of their advanced age,” she told AFP.”They all taught me that good always triumphs over evil and that I must not choose the path of wrongdoing,” Cha said.”They instilled those values in me.”

The quest of millions seeking salvation at the world’s largest religious festival has also been a golden opportunity for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to burnish Hindu nationalist credentials.Undeterred by packed trains, sold-out hotels, stomach-churning faecal matter measurements in rivers used for ritual bathing, and two deadly stampedes that killed dozens, the Hindu faithful descended on the city of Prayagraj for the six-week-long Kumbh Mela.They were welcomed by the ubiquitous presence of Modi on giant billboards flanked by firebrand Hindu monk Yogi Adityanath, 52, the chief minister of India’s largest state of Uttar Pradesh — and viewed by many as the prime minister’s potential successor.Both men say the millennia-old festival which ends Wednesday has been the “grandest” yet, bolstering their portrayal of themselves as stewards of Hindu resurgence and national prosperity.Above the sea of people at sprawling campsites, loudspeakers trumpet the achievements of Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).That is the take-home message for many of the pilgrims, who — at least according to eyebrow-raising figures from Adityanath’s state government — numbered more than 560 million.”We are just thankful to Modi and Yogi for their great work,” said Satendar Singh, 60, who travelled from Bihar state to bathe where Ganges and Yamuna rivers meet.”Only they will return to power now, no one else can replace them.”- ‘Kings’ -As well as Modi and Adityanath, a host of political leaders, business tycoons and Bollywood stars have made national headlines with a holy dip since the festival opened on January 13.The festival’s success was paramount for Modi and Adityanath, whose fortunes are linked to support from India’s one-billion-plus Hindus and, critics say, the marginalisation of its estimated 200 million Muslim minority.Modi, elected for his third consecutive term last year, has championed a Hindu nationalist agenda intertwining the majority religion with politics and economy.The Kumbh Mela, held at Prayagraj every 12 years, is the biggest milestone on the Hindu calendar.Modi, speaking before the festival, said previous governments “did not care” about the festival and pointed out that his administration “respects the culture and hence sees it as a responsibility to provide all the facilities for devotees”.The BJP has long pushed massive projects in key Hindu pilgrimage sites including Ayodhya, also in Utter Pradesh, where a grand temple was opened last year on the site where a centuries-old mosque was torn down by zealots in 1992.Before the festival, Modi and Adityanath —  who controlled lucrative service contracts — boasted of massive infrastructure upgrades and investments. It has cemented diehard loyalty from supporters.”Both Modi and Yogi are doing what no other government could do for us, and I just want them to stay in power forever,” said Sonu Sharma, 48, from Prayagraj.”They are kings, and the only thing a good king wants is whatever his subjects need.”- ‘Religious division’ -But many among Prayagraj’s Muslim population, who make up roughly a fifth of its seven million residents, viewed the festival with deep unease.Many still use the city’s old name of Allahabad, given by a Muslim ruler more than 400 years ago, rather than the Hindu name of Prayagraj the BJP changed it to in 2018.Critics say it was part of wider BJP efforts to smother Muslim identity. Local political activist Mohammad Akram, 38, accused the BJP of trying to turn the ancient festival into a “tool for religious division”.Unlike earlier editions, warnings by hardline Hindu groups deterred many Muslim shopkeepers and hawkers from entering the festival grounds. Mohammad Zahid, 52, a shopkeeper, said “99 percent of the local Muslims did not set up shops there out of fear”.He worried about the loss of the city’s Muslim past.”You can rename the city, but how can you change this cultural fabric of brotherhood which is the foundation of Allahabad?” he asked.Preacher Syed Farooq Ahmed, 55, whose family has lived in Prayagraj for generations, said he was “saddened” because division was “not the history of Allahabad’s shared cultural heritage”. Ahmed said his ancestor built their 300-year-old home and the mosque next to it, and had used the Ganges river to perform ceremonial washings before prayers.”This river does not belong to any caste or religion,” he said. “It belongs to those who have made it a part of themselves”.

In cricket-crazed Pakistan’s biggest city, cafe owner Moiz Umer said customers asked him Sunday to change the TV channel to “avoid the humiliation” of witnessing their Champions Trophy defeat to arch-rivals India.”For large parts of the Indian innings, a good number of people turned their backs to the match — facing their friends instead of the screen, such was the disappointment,” said the 45-year-old in the city of Karachi.Fans that didn’t look away watched India outclass Pakistan with a convincing six-wicket victory, chasing down 242 with 45 balls to spare and pushing the hosts to the verge of elimination after just two matches.Pakistan is staging a major international tournament for the first time in nearly three decades but India refused to visit — citing security concerns and political tensions — meaning the teams faced each other in Dubai.The return of international play has been a huge source of national pride but Pakistan fans at home suffered the double heartbreak on Sunday of watching their team falter from a distance.”It was such a big match and we went down with a whimper,” said 42-year-old Zain Mursaleen, among around a hundred spectators with a deflated mood who had gathered to watch the match in Karachi.”We love to see good cricket and Pakistan failed to produce that — again.”The eight-team tournament only began on Wednesday. But Pakistan also lost their opening game, meaning their fate hangs on the outcome of a match between New Zealand and Bangladesh in Rawalpindi on Monday.In the garrison city adjacent to the capital Islamabad, the atmosphere was sombre from the outset before India’s star batsman Virat Kohli struck an unbeaten 100.”They came to the game with a loser’s mindset and never attempted to attack,” said 53-year-old chef Rasheed Saleem.”I doubt they even realise how disheartening it is for fans to see them go down like this,” he added.Saad Murtaza, a 29-year-old software engineer, said he began watching with “low expectations” but was still left disappointed.”I thought they might surprise us, as it was more than just a game. Unfortunately, they failed to do so,” he said.”They lack both the intent and the skills. I wasted my entire day watching this pathetic display of a game.”- ‘Not a rivalry anymore’ -The nuclear-armed neighbours have fought three wars since being carved out of the subcontinent’s partition in 1947, fomenting a feud that often plays out on the field.Cricket is by far the most popular sport in both countries, which have a combined population of more than 1.6 billion — making matches some of the most-viewed sporting events in the world.Deteriorating ties have meant Pakistan and India have not played a bilateral cricket series for over a decade — facing each other only in tournament matches staged in third countries.Despite the bitter diplomatic rhetoric, numerous Pakistan fans have told AFP they would have relished the chance to host India’s team and their spectators.But some commentators on Sunday were declaring the rivalry now over after a dire run of Pakistani performances.”One is forced to conclude that this is not a rivalry anymore as India has dominated Pakistan, especially in the one day internationals,” cricket journalist and former Pakistan Cricket Board spokesman Ahsan Iftikhar Nagi told AFP.The English-language Dawn newspaper had a more pessimistic prognosis, suggesting Pakistan’s issues are more wide-reaching.”The loss has once again put the spotlight on the massive gulf of quality between Pakistan and other teams in terms of technique, game awareness, fitness and pressure handling,” wrote sports correspondent Mir Shabbar Ali.Back in Karachi, Umer the cafe owner offered a more blunt post-match analysis.”Supporting the Pakistan cricket team has always been a turbulent affair,” he said.”While they have been consistently poor of late, there is always hope that they will surprise everyone — they did this time too, but with how bad they were.”

Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan admitted Sunday that his team’s Champions Trophy dreams had “ended” after a shattering loss to bitter rivals India. Hosts Pakistan went down by six wickets in Dubai for their second defeat in the 50-over tournament to all but bow out of the semi-final race.If New Zealand beat Bangladesh in Rawalpindi on Monday, then Pakistan’s fate will be sealed.”Yes, I would say it has ended, that’s the truth,” Rizwan told reporters when asked if his side had reached the end of the road.”The next match, what Bangladesh does with New Zealand and what New Zealand does with India. What we do? It’s a long journey. Our Champions Trophy depends on others and I as a captain I don’t like this.””If we could have done something on our own then it would have been different. We admit to our losses against New Zealand and India but don’t want to sit eyeing other results.”Pakistan is hosting an ICC tournament for the first time in nearly three decades since the 1996 ODI World Cup, which they co-hosted with India and Sri Lanka.India, however, refused to tour Pakistan due to political reasons and are playing all their matches at the Dubai International Stadium.Pakistan elected to bat first in the crunch game but were bowled out for 241 in 49.4 overs despite a 104-run partnership between Saud Shakeel and Rizwan.India rode on Virat Kohli’s unbeaten 100 to chase down the target with 45 balls to spare on a sluggish pitch where stroke-making was difficult.- ‘Crumbled’ -Pakistan leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed returned figures of 1-28 from his 10 overs but other bowlers leaked runs.”We are disappointed, yes, because a defeat brings a tough day, facing difficult things and lots of questions,” said Rizwan. “Abrar Ahmed’s bowling was a positive but we made mistakes in all three departments.”After Saud, who hit 62, and Rizwan, who made 46, departed the middle-order stuttered with only Khushdil Shah hitting a late cameo with his 38.”Our middle-order has performed before and 270-280 would have been good on this pitch,” said Rizwan.”I tried to build a partnership and took some time as well, we lost wickets and our shot selection was poor. In turn our middle-order crumbled.”Pakistan lost the tournament opener to New Zealand and Rizwan said mistakes are being repeated.”Honestly we made the same mistakes that we have been doing since the last three-four matches,” the wicketkeeper-batsman said.”We are working on them but we are mortals and falling short. India probably worked harder than us and were brave. We lacked being brave and fell short in the field.”Pakistan, who won the last edition of the Champions Trophy in 2017 after beating India in the final, next play Bangladesh in Rawalpindi on Thursday.

Cricket icon Virat Kohli said he shut down “the noise” to compile an unbeaten 100 and become only the third man to make 14,000 runs in one-day internationals in Sunday’s six-wicket triumph over Pakistan in the Champions Trophy.Kohli’s 51st ton in the format in Dubai led India to a comfortable victory over their arch-rivals and to the brink of the semi-finals.The knock from the 36-year-old stood out in the high-pressure match as the former captain came into the 50-over tournament with speculation over his cricket future.”My job was clear – to control in the middle overs, not take risks against spinners and take on the pacers. I was happy with the template, it’s how I play in ODIs,” said man-of-the-match Kohli.”I have a decent understanding of my game. It’s about keeping the outside noise away, take care of my energy levels and thoughts. It’s easy for me to get pulled into expectations and frenzy around games like these.”Pakistan skipper Mohammad Rizwan said his respect for Kohli had rocketed.”I wonder how hard he would have worked when the whole world was saying he is out of form but coming into a match which is awaited by the world, he scores runs easily,” said Rizwan.”I praise his hard work and fitness.”India captain Rohit Sharma said, “Virat loves representing the country, doing what he does the best, which is what he did today. People sitting inside the dressing room aren’t surprised with what he did.”Kohli entered the match with 13,985 runs in 298 ODIs and went past 14,000 runs with a flowing punch through the covers off pace bowler Haris Rauf.He is just the third man to achieve the feat after India icon Sachin Tendulkar (18,426) and Sri Lankan great Kumar Sangakkara (14,234).Kohli, who was out for 22 in the opening win over Bangladesh, put on 114 runs with Shreyas Iyer as he drove and flicked with aplomb to reach his 82nd ton across all formats with a winning boundary.He took off his helmet and raised his bat to a standing ovation form the crowd that chanted his name.- ‘Hungry for runs’ -“I have never thought of Virat struggling for runs,” said Iyer.”It’s just that the mindset he possesses over the years, he is always hungry for runs and I remember yesterday he came almost an hour before us for the practise session. Looking from outside he looked as crisp as he looks all the time.”Kohli and Rohit retired from T20 internationals after India’s World Cup triumph last year.But the two struggled to find their best form in both Test and 50-over formats due to inconsistent run-scoring, with speculation that they may soon retire.Following the bruising 3-1 Test defeat in Australia, India’s board ordered contracted players to feature in domestic cricket.But both flopped, with Rohit scoring three and 28 in his first and second innings for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy and Kohli scoring six off 15 balls for Delhi.Kohli will likely take field against New Zealand next Sunday in their final group match for his 300th ODI since his debut in 2008.