India countered the ghost of 2023 to win the Champions Trophy 2025, beating New Zealand by four wickets in the final. Billions of hearts were shattered after a crushing defeat to Australia in the ODI World Cup 2023 final and that was reminded several times before India played the marquee clash at Dubai International Stadium.
The captain himself was under immense pressure as several media reports claimed that it could be Rohit’s last international game if India failed to clinch the title. In such a scenario, the captain led by example with the bat and helped India become the only team in history to win three Champions Trophies. Rohit also became the first Indian captain to win back-to-back ICC trophies.
The skipper was under intense pressure, with various media stories claiming that if India failed to win the trophy, it would be Rohit’s last international game. In such a scenario, the skipper set an example with the bat, assisting India in becoming the only team in history to win three Champions Trophies. Rohit also became the first Indian skipper to win consecutive ICC trophies.
New Zealand struggled to bat first, with Will Young and Kane Williamson departing early. Rachin Ravindra, who was on song with the bat in the powerplay, also left shortly after that. He exited, having scored 37 runs off 29 balls. Batting at four, Daryl Mitchell once again proved to be a solid pillar. He countered the Indian bowlers effectively, scoring a half-century under pressure. He wasn’t in a hurry and adjusted his strategy to keep the scoreboard ticking.
Glenn Phillips backed him up strongly, scoring 34 runs until Varun Chakravarthy dismissed him. Nonetheless, his dismissal brought Michael Bracewell to the crease, where he scored an undefeated 53 runs from 40 deliveries. With their half-centuries, New Zealand scored 251 runs in the first innings. Varun Sharma and Kuldeep Yadav each took two wickets for India.
Captain Rohit made an excellent start with the bat. He handled the pressure and delivered. Despite the fact that Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli left early, Rohit continued to dominate, scoring 76 runs off 83 deliveries. With his performance, the 37-year-old has now eclipsed Sachin Tendulkar for the most runs scored by an Indian skipper in ODI cricket.
Following his departure, Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel took over the firm, forming a valuable partnership of 61 runs. That set up the game for India, but neither cricketer was able to finish it. Shreyas left after reaching 48 runs, and Axar scored 29. Following their departure, the onus came on KL Rahul, who scored an unbeaten 34 runs. Hardik Pandya provided solid support, but he left after reaching 18 runs. In the end, Rahul and Jadeja carried the team through as the party began in the changing room, and the all-rounder struck the winning runs.