In a thrilling final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on March 9, Rohit Sharma’s India defeated New Zealand by four wickets to win the ICC Champions Trophy for the third time (they shared it with Sri Lanka in 2000). It was a historic evening in Dubai. With six balls remaining, the Men in Blue, who were chasing 252 for victory, won the match.
Daryl Mitchell’s 63 and Michael Bracewell’s undefeated 53 helped New Zealand, who had won the toss and chosen to bat first, score 251/7 in their 50 overs. Varun Chakravarthy (2/45) and Kuldeep Yadav (2/40) split four wickets between them for the Blues, preventing the Kiwis from amassing a substantial total. India’s spin attack controlled the run rate, and Mohammed Shami and Ravindra Jadeja both contributed a wicket.
With skipper Rohit Sharma leading from the front, the team responded with an exciting start. His 76 off 83 balls, which included three sixes and seven boundaries, served as the primary blueprint for their pursuit. Shreyas Iyer (48) and Axar Patel (29) kept the innings steady despite the rapid losses of Shubman Gill (31) and Virat Kohli (1). Nevertheless, the BlackCaps made consistent breakthroughs to win the game.
Hardik Pandya (18) and KL Rahul (34*) took a good amount of the load, as 61 was required off the final 10 overs. Jadeja (9*) made sure there were no more problems by blasting the winning boundary to end India’s 12-year wait for a Champions Trophy victory after Pandya fell with just 11 runs needed.
Talking Points
1. After nearly 12 years, India finally took home an ICC ODI title.
When the Men in Blue won their third ICC Champions Trophy, it was a memorable evening. The team ended their 12-year drought for an ODI Trophy in 2024, however they did win the T20 World Cup. India achieved an undefeated run in this edition of the Champions Trophy, which they had not done since 2013.
2. Rohit Sharma’s superior leadership skills
In the final, Rohit Sharma smashed a six off Kyle Jamieson’s second ball to give India a strong start. He reached his half-century in 41 balls, dominating the opening stand with Shubman Gill. India reached 50 in just 7.2 overs thanks to his aggressive purpose. However, after facing 11 consecutive dot balls, Rohit was stumped off Rachin Ravindra at 76 off 83 balls, ending his innings. In ODIs against New Zealand, the Indian captain also became the seventh Indian hitter to reach 1000 runs or more.
3. New Zealand’s excellent fielding versus India’s subpar performance
In the opening innings, the Men in Blue suffered greatly as a result of their fielding problems. India’s careless efforts let them dearly, even if Glenn Phillips’ spectacular catch to dismiss Shubman Gill garnered notice. They lost the extra runs due to four dropped catches and missed run-out opportunities. Shreyas Iyer and Mohammed Shami missed important chances, and Shubman Gill, who is often good on the pitch, missed a sitter. India’s hopes were also harmed by Kuldeep Yadav’s lack of awareness. New Zealand’s talented fielders, like as Phillips, Mark Chapman, and Rachin Ravindra, on the other hand, maintained the pressure on the Men in Blue.
Who Said What?
Player of the Tournament, Rachin Ravindra, said
Certainly is bitter-sweet. Was a glorious final. The individual accolades are great and playing for a team is great. [What makes you such a great ICC player?] Maybe we get to play on a good wicket. I like playing tournament cricket because you are playing for a goal. Very proud of my past. Have so many people to thank. It would have been nice to have the icing on the cake with the trophy but cricket is a cruel game. All members of the squad have a part to play. There isn’t an established player or a newbie. We go about our business and play like a team.
Player of the Match, Rohit Sharma, said
It is very nice. We played some good cricket though the tournament. To have the result our way is a great feeling. [Aggressive style] Not natural to me, but something I really wanted to do. When you are doing something different, you have to have the backing of the team and management. I spoke to Rahul bhai earlier and now Gauti bhai as well. It is something I really wanted to do. I have played all these years in a different style, and now we are getting the results with this. We have to understand the nature of the surfaces and I was very clear about how I wanted to execute the first five-six overs. I have gotten out as well earlier, but the execution matters. The depth gives me the freedom and it helps. With Jadeja coming at 8, it gives you the confidence to go hard up front. As long as I am clear in my mind, it is great.
Winning captain, Rohit Sharma, said
I appreciate everyone who came to support us. The crowd has been amazing. Not our home ground but they made it our home ground. Very satisfying win. Right form the beginning our spinners… there is too much expectation but they never disappointed. It helped them and we used that to our advantage. We were very consistent with our bowling. [KL] A very solid mind, never gets overawed with the pressure around him. He finished off the game for us. He picks the right shot to play in the pressure situation which allows the rest of the batters to play freely. For eg, Hardik. The overall batsmanship shown by all the batters was special. [On Chakravarthy] He has something different about him. When you are playing on such a pitch, you want to have something like him. He didn’t start but played later and got wickets. Luckily for us, it came to use. Very grateful for the fans. We really appreciate their support. It may not be seen as useful but when they come out, it makes a difference.
Losing captain, Mitchell Santner, said
It has been a good tournament. We had challenges along the way, but we have grown as a group and played some good cricket. We were beaten by a good side who turned up today. Lot of good stuff from our group, guys stepping up at different times and that’s all you can ask as a captain. It was good bowling. We lost a couple of wickets after the powerplay. Credit to the way their spinners bowled, all four of them, world class. We were 25 under but we had a total, we tried to fight and that’s what we did. He keeps doing it doesn’t he. The powerplay was the best time to bat, Rohit and Gill cashed in, Rohit’s innings was outstanding and it put us on the back foot, but we knew the game can change quickly and we kept chipping away at the wickets and stayed in the game. We have seen how he steps up in these major events, he has been oustanding with the ball and even GP. He understands his game at such young age and even put the pressure on India early on
India
