Asia Cup 2023: Video of fireworks, celebrations in J&K after India's win over Pakistan goes viral - WATCH

Led by brilliant performances from KL Rahul, Virat Kohli and Kuldeep Yadav, India registered a record 228-run win over arch-rival Pakistan on Monday and collected crucial points in the Super Four stage of the Asia Cup 2023.

India registered a historic 228-run victory over arch-rival Pakistan in a Super Four stage match of the Asia Cup 2023 on Monday in Colombo. The Men in Blue had set a challenging target of 357 runs for Pakistan, and they managed to bowl out their opponent for a mere 128 runs, marking India's largest-ever margin of victory against Pakistan in terms of runs.

The match faced several rain interruptions, which extended the game to the reserve day, raising concerns about a potential no-result. Despite these interruptions, India's bowlers delivered an outstanding performance, dismissing Pakistan in just 32 overs. Two injured Pakistani bowlers did not bat.

Kuldeep Yadav, the left-arm wrist spinner, played a pivotal role in India's victory by securing a five-wicket haul. He bowled eight overs, conceding only 25 runs, and proved to be a significant challenge for the Pakistani batsmen.

Following this emphatic win, celebrations sparked across the nation with several fans taking to the streets to cherish the historic moment. A video of celebrations and fireworks in Jammu and Kashmir went viral, with several internet users commenting on scenes from 'New Bharat'.

Earlier in the Asia Cup 2023 clash, Virat Kohli and K.L. Rahul showcased exceptional batting prowess for India as they amassed 356-2. They formed an unbeaten partnership of 233 runs for the third wicket off 194 balls, establishing a new record for India's highest partnership in the Asia Cup. It is also the fourth highest total at the R. Premadasa Stadium, with no ODI team having successfully chased 357 at the venue, and India’s joint highest ODI total against Pakistan, equaling the 356 scored in Visakhapatnam in 2005.

“We wanted to walk out to the park and have some game time. Many of the guys didn’t have game time,” India captain Rohit Sharma said. “Virat and Rahul batted so well when we had to score big runs and then the bowlers were superb when it was our time to bowl. We have back-to-back games (playing Sri Lanka on Tuesday) and it’s tough on the players, but we are looking forward for the challenge.”

On Monday, India resumed their innings at 147-2 and swiftly seized control of the match. KL Rahul, making a comeback after recovering from an injury, delivered a remarkable performance by scoring a century at a run-a-ball rate. This marked his sixth ODI century and his first since March 2021. Rahul concluded his innings unbeaten at 111 runs from 106 balls, embellished with 12 fours and two sixes.

However, it was the former captain, Virat Kohli, who outshone everyone by becoming the fastest player to reach the monumental milestone of 13,000 ODI runs. Sachin Tendulkar had held the previous record, accomplishing this feat in 321 innings, while Kohli achieved it in just 267 innings.

Kohli's 47th ODI century was a testament to his exceptional batting prowess, coming off 84 balls, with his fifty taking a mere 55 deliveries. Remarkably, this was his fourth consecutive century at the same venue, a feat previously achieved only by South Africa's Hashim Amla at Centurion. Kohli concluded his innings unbeaten with an impressive score of 122 runs from 94 deliveries, including nine fours and three sixes.

Pakistan, on the other hand, struggled to keep up with India's aggressive batting display. Their bowling unit was weakened due to the absence of Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah, both of whom were unable to bowl. Pakistan's captain, Babar Azam, expressed his disappointment, acknowledging that they were never truly competitive in the run chase.

“India’s batters had a plan for our bowlers. And then Rahul and Kohli followed up and finished very well,” Pakistan captain Babar Azam said. “It was disappointing as we were never in the hunt during the run chase.”

With this victory, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka each have one win in the Super Four round, with India leading in terms of net run rate. Bangladesh, the fourth team in the group, has suffered two losses.