India defeated arch-rivals Pakistan by six wickets in what turned out to be a one-sided affair at the ICC Champions Trophy on Sunday. As the Men In Blue dominated the contest, social media was abuzz with reactions, including a cheeky post from Union Minister Kiren Rijiju.
Mr Rijiju joined in the celebration, sharing a viral video of former Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik singing "Dil ke armaan aansuon mein beh gaye" - a melancholic Bollywood classic, seemingly hinting at Pakistan's heartbreak. "Meanwhile reaction from Pakistan!" he wrote as a caption.
In a separate post, Mr Rijiju hailed India's performance, calling the win a "statement of grit, discipline, and unwavering spirit."
"What. A. Match! A game of patience, strategy & sheer dominance!" he wrote. "This wasn't just a win-it was a statement."
A moment that stole the spotlight during the match was Rohit Sharma's animated reaction in the dressing room as Virat Kohli inched closer to his century. As India closed in on victory, Rohit Sharma excitedly signalled for Virat Kohli to finish it off in style. Mr Rijiju shared the clip, writing, "I'm an excited & satisfied man now."
Union Home Minister Amit Shah also congratulated Team India for their "electrifying performance". "Well played Team India. You have made everyone proud by living up to the expectations of millions of cricket fans around the world. All my best wishes for your future matches," he wrote.
Virat Kohli's stunning century and Shreyas Iyer's crucial half-century powered India to a win in just 42.3 overs with six wickets to spare.
There were multiple record-breaking moments for several players from Team India. Virat Kohli surpassed Mohammad Azharuddin's 156 ODI catches, becoming India's top fielder. He also went past Sachin Tendulkar's 50 ODI centuries and became only the third cricketer in history to cross 14,000 runs in ODIs.
Rohit Sharma is the fastest ODI opener to reach 9,000 runs, achieving the feat in just 181 innings - smashing Tendulkar's previous record of 197 innings. Kuldeep Yadav became the fifth Indian spinner to claim 300 international wickets. Hardik Pandya took his 200th international wicket, with figures of 2/31.
