India clinch Champions Trophy with stellar performances from Rohit and Rahul against NZ; back-to-back ICC titles secured

In 2000, Nairobi couldn't bring joy to Indian cricket fans. In 2021, Lord's couldn't deliver what fans hoped for. But in 2025, Dubai finally did it. India managed to beat New Zealand in an ICC tournament final on their third attempt. Despite some hiccups along the way, KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya outplayed the Kiwi spinners, leading India to victory in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. This marked India's third Champions Trophy title, including the shared trophy with Sri Lanka in 2002, and their first since 2013. This win came shortly after their triumph in the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean, bringing joy to billions of Indian cricket fans.

It was a strange, closely fought contest. Some would say that's exactly what a tournament final should be. Except for the first 10 overs during New Zealand's batting, India always had their noses in front but the Black Caps somehow kept throwing punches. They kept getting harder and harder as the match progressed, but India, arguably the best all-round team of the tournament, used all its depth to nudge ahead.

Ravindra Jadeja hit the winning boundary and went on a winning run despite crashing into Will O'Rourke. An ice-cool KL Rahul remained unbeaten on 34 off 33 balls as India completed the chase of 252 with six balls to spare after Rohit Sharma (76 off 83 balls) and Shreyas Iyer (48 off 62 balls) shone with the bat.

It was all rosy for India till captain Rohit and Shubman Gill were batting in the middle but a drinks break followed by a gravity-defying catch from New Zealand's superhuman Glenn Phillips turned the match on its head. India went 103 for no loss to 122/3 in 8 overs. After Gill was dismissed for 31, Virat Kohli was trapped in front by Michael Bracewell for 1 in the next over. Kohli was guilty of closing the face of his bat way too early. The ball turned and hit him in front. He went for the review but it was of no use.

Losing Kohli cheaply is always a blow; losing him in a run chase of a final is a punch that could make the team dizzy for some time. That's exactly what happened to India. Santner, Bracewell and Rachin Ravindra combined to apply the squeeze on India just like Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakaravarthy did earlier in the day.

Rohit and Shreyas Iyer could not rotate the strike. The pressure gave way to another false shot. Rohit charged down the track to Ravindra, who pulled his length back ever so slightly and got some turn to evade Rohit's swinging bat. Tom Latham, behind the stumps, whipped the bails in a flash.

Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel then soaked up all the pressure for the next hour to stitch an invaluable 61-run stand for the fourth wicket. With 69 runs needed off 69 balls, India once again looked like one-way traffic, but New Zealand hung in there. Iyer played a rash shot to lose his wicket for 48, allowing New Zealand to stay in the game.

KL Rahul came in and hit a superb six to ease the pressure. Axar Patel then struck a boundary to once again take India's noses in front, but New Zealand were not ready to die. Bracewell, easily New Zealand's Player of the Match for the day, got rid of Axar in his last over of the day to keep his side in the game.

In-walked Hardik Pandya, who, along with Rahul, was tasked to take India home just like in the game against Australia. The duo took India to the doorstep of victory with a quickfire 38 runs before Jadeja and Rahul finished it off.

Rohit's brilliant knock

The legends of the game have a knack for stepping up when it truly matters, and this is what the Indian captain Rohit Sharma did in the ICC Men's Champions Trophy 2025 final.

The Indian captain took the Kiwi pacers Kyle Jamieson, Nathan Smith, and William ORourke to the cleaners in the powerplay, and his onslaught was the biggest reason India coasted to 64/0 after the end of the 10th over.

He hit three sixes and seven fours in his enterprising knock and put on 105 runs for the first wicket with Gill before Phillips' catch changed things. Rohit was forced to buckle down, but he had given India such a headstart that all it needed was some calm heads, which came in the form of Iyer, Axar and Rahul, in the middle order to take them over the line.

Indian spinners bring down high-flying Kiwis

The Indian spinners also can rightfully claim a good chunk of credit for this victory. Kuldeep Yadav (2/40) and Varun Chakravarthy (2/45) were excellent alongside Axar and Ravindra Jadeja as the quartet conceded only 144 runs in the 38 overs bowled between them. However, the start made by New Zealand did not justify the total that they eventually managed.

They raced to 69 for 1 in 10 overs despite losing Will Young to Chakravarthy, who came in the sixth over. But the introduction of Kuldeep 11th over changed the complexion of the game.

With his first ball, Kuldeep consumed Ravindra, who failed to read a wonderfully concealed googly that disturbed his stumps.

It also ended a good 57-run opening stand, in which Ravindra, who punished Hardik Pandya for a six and two fours in row, was dropped on 28 by Mohammed Shami off his own bowling.

In the very next over, Kane Williamson’s forward prod off the left-arm wrist spinner eventuated in a return catch as the Kiwis slipped to 75 for three in 12.2 overs.

The four-pronged Indian spin attack assumed control of the proceedings from that point, and New Zealand could not find a boundary for the next 81 balls.

Kuldeep and Varun found an appreciable turn off the deck. Axar and Jadeja, however, relied more on quickness to cramp Kiwis batters for space, and both the methods were equally effective on the day.

Chakravarthy also mixed his endless ensemble of tricks and accounted for Phillips to end a promising 57-run alliance for the fifth wicketHowever, Mitchell, who cleverly manipulated the field for singles and twos, brought up his fifty in 91 balls.

His twin boundaries off Shami in the 46th over indicated a late charge.He also stitched a useful 46-run partnership with Bracewell, who played some hefty shots, for the sixth wicket before falling to Shami.Bracewell's enterprise meant that Kiwis would get 50 runs in the last five overs. But the effort was way too less on the night that firmly belonged to India.

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