India opened their T20 World Cup campaign at the MCG with a classic win over arch-enemies Pakistan. Chasing 160, Virat Kohli anchored the innings with a superb 82* off 53 balls, ensuring India won by 4 wickets in a high-stakes encounter. Hardik Pandya provided essential support, delivering a strong all-round game with 40 runs and three wickets.
Choosing to bowl first, India struck early when Arshdeep Singh sent Babar Azam back to the pavilion without scoring a single run. Arshdeep continued his dominance by dismissing Mohammad Rizwan shortly after for 4, but Pakistan managed to stabilize their innings through a solid 76-run stand between Shan Masood and Iftikhar Ahmed.
The momentum shifted when Mohammed Shami dismissed Ahmed for 51, sparking a collapse that let India back into the contest. Despite the wickets falling, Shan Masood played a steady hand, finishing unbeaten on 52 to help Pakistan reach 159/8 in their 20 overs. Arshdeep Singh was the pick of the bowlers for India with three wickets.
India's pursuit of the target got off to a rocky start, collapsing to lose Rahul (4), Rohit (4), and Yadav (15) during the powerplay. Haris Rauf was particularly dangerous, utilizing excellent pace and accuracy. However, Kohli and Pandya kept their composure, building a decisive 113-run partnership for the fifth wicket.
Kohli took control of the game, hitting two incredible sixes in the second-to-last over to bring India closer to victory. The match ended on the final ball when Ravichandran Ashwin hit the winning run. This performance also saw Kohli become the all-time leading run-scorer in T20I history with 3,794 runs.