India and Pakistan will once again face off in their arch-rivalry in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 on February 23 in Dubai. Pakistan, who lost to New Zealand by 60 runs, is in a do-or-die situation, while India seeks to maintain their winning streak after a six-wicket win over Bangladesh. As India seeks to qualify for the semi-finals and avenge their 2017 final defeat, one man will be key and that is Virat Kohli. Virat Kohli has always performed in high-pressure matches, particularly against Pakistan. In 16 ODIs against Pakistan, he has scored 678 runs at a remarkable average of 52.1, demonstrating his reliability in this high-stakes encounter. Battling at No. 3, Kohli offers solidity once the openers, Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill, are back in the dugout. Although his start was forgettable against Bangladesh in the first game, but his ODI higher strike rate against Pakistan indicates that he can pick up the pace whenever required. His record in Champions Trophy is equally impressive, having an average of 78.7 and strike rate of 90.2, and so he is the player to look out for in this decisive encounter. Also Read | Watch: India’s Anthem Mistakenly Played Before AUS vs ENG Can Abrar Ahmed Trouble Virat Kohli? Virat Kohli has not played against Abrar Ahmed in any format, but the Pakistani leg-spinner presents a potential challenge. Abrar has been bowling well, and that can been in his recent outings. In the tournament opener, Abrar finished with the figures of 1/47. He contains runs and plucks crucial scalps at the same time. His tendency to turn the ball sharply and mislead batters can prove to be dangerous for Kohli. In recent matches, Kohli has been vulnerable against the leg-spinners. England's Adil Rashid sent him back twice in an ODI series, and Bangladesh's Rishad Hossain did the same in India's first match of the tournament. This shows a concern regarding his capacity to deal with quality leg-spin. Also Read | ODI Stats of India’s Current Squad Against Pakistan Kohli's Stats Against Leg-Spinners: Duration Innings Runs Balls Faced Dismissals Strike Rate Fours Sixes Overall 89 1411 1394 23 101.21 111 16 Since 2024 5 21 46 5 45.65 1 0 Pakistan's Plan Against Kohli Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan might introduce Abrar Ahmed early to test Kohli’s technique against spin. If Abrar finds his rhythm, he could trouble Kohli and create an opportunity for Pakistan in this high-voltage clash.