Virat Kohli smashed a robust fifty that powered India to an epic four-wicket victory over their archrival Pakistan in a heart-stopping game in the Super 12 of the ICC T20 World Cup at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday.

It was 31 from 12 and subsequently it came down to 16 from six balls, mingling with wickets, wides, no-balls and eventually concluded with a six that outclassed Pakistan in the last ball thriller.

Virat smacked a 53-ball 82 with the help of six boundaries and four maximums to propel India to 160-6, pursuing an onerous 159-8.

Hardik Pandiya added a worthwhile 40 off 37 balls as second top.

Haris Rauf and Mohammad Nawaz were the pick among the Pakistan bowlers, scalping two each, while Nassem Shah finished with one wicket.

And with the bat, Shan Masud, alongside Iftikhar Ahmed, made an unbeaten 52 off 42 balls and a 34-ball 51, respectively.

Arshdeep Singh and Hardik Pandya each took three wickets for India, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Shami each took one.

Sent to bat, Pakistan lost their opening pair for 15 runs inside the power play to mount huge pressure for the side.

Although Shan Masud and Iftikhar aimed to release it, forming a 50-ball 76 partnership in the middle, however, following the exit of the latter by Shami, not a single batsman of the side could appear as a savior in the middle and lower-middle order.

In the late order, a 8-ball 16 flurry from Shaheen Shah Afridi handed Pakistan a 31 off 16 balls with his partner Masud to amass a challenging 159-8n in the stipulated over.

With India needing 160, made a stuttering start, losing four batsmen for 31 in 6.1 overs.

In the fifth wicket stand, Virat and Hardik added a stormy 78-ball 113 to drag the side a few runs away from 150 before the latter was removed by Nawaz.

However, Virat went big guns in the penultimate overs and carried on lone-handedly to take his side to the harbor of victory.