Kohli leads India to record win over Pakistan

Virat Kohli hammered his 47th ODI century as India cruised to a record 228-run win over archrivals Pakistan to collect crucial points in the Super Four stage of the Asia Cup.

Having set a huge target of 357 thanks to the unbeaten tons of both Kohli and KL Rahul, India bowled out their neighbours for 128 in Colombo on Monday, to earn their biggest-ever margin of victory over Pakistan.

After bad weather had halted play on Sunday, the game extended to the reserve day and threatened to end in a no result after several more rain interruptions, but India's bowlers did well to bowl out the opposition in 32 overs.

Kuldeep Yadav finished with a five-wicket haul as Pakistan struggled against the left-arm wrist spinner.

Earlier, Kohli and Rahul were the stars as India amassed 2-356, putting on an unbroken 233 for the third wicket off 194 balls, India's highest partnership for any wicket in the competition.

It is also the fourth-highest total at Colombo's R. Premadasa Stadium, and India's joint-highest ODI total against Pakistan, equalling the 356 scored in Visakhapatnam in 2005.

India resumed on 2-147 and soon took complete control.

Rahul, back in the side after injury, scored a run-a-ball century, his sixth ODI hundred and the first since March 2021. He finished 111no off 106 balls with 12 fours and two sixes.

Kohli did even better as he became the quickest batter to get to 13,000 ODI runs. The previous record holder, Sachin Tendulkar, needed 321 innings to reach the milestone but Kohli got there in 267.

His latest ton came off 84 balls and was his fourth consecutive century at the ground. Only Hashim Amla of South Africa had previously scored four successive tons at the same venue, at Centurion.

Kohli finished unbeaten on 122 off 94 deliveries with nine fours and three sixes, making Pakistan's formidable bowling attack look fairly toothless, a much different tale to when the teams met in a first-round game in Kandy.

Pakistan's bowling was weakened, too, without Haris Rauf. The paceman sent down five overs on Sunday but wasn't available to bowl on Monday due to injury.

India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka all have one win apiece in the Super Four round, with India top on net run-rate. Bangladesh, the fourth team in the group, have lost both their matches.