Rohit Sharma’s journey as India’s white-ball captain has been nothing short of extraordinary. At this moment, no proof is needed to claim that. India have been crowned as Champions for the record third time, and Rohit Sharma deserves all the appreciation for this one. While no one can erase the harsh memories of November 19, 2023, where India lost the ODI World Cup to Australia, Rohit Sharma, led India to a T20 World Cup victory in June last year and now it’s the Champions Trophy 2025.
With multiple ICC trophies, Asia Cup titles, and record-breaking performances, Rohit Sharma has now cemented his place as one of India’s greatest leaders in limited-overs cricket. New Zealand defended with all their might against heavy favourites India. But, in the end, India had just too much quality and depth for them, and ended their second straight ICC tournament unbeaten. They now hold two of the four ICC trophies, having lost in the final of the other two. In the last three ICC tournaments alone, India have won 22 of their 23 completed matches.
Pitch Report and Toss
Pitch Report : All to play for, this is the big final. Dubai is getting warmer but it is not that bad right now, a bit of cloud around and a high of 31 degrees, no chance of rain. Dimensions – over point it is 66 meters and over square leg it is 66 meters as well, 76 meters straight down the ground. It looks like a pretty dry surface.
This is bone-dry and it is a used wicket. You win the toss and bat first on this surface. It will get harder and harder to bat as the game goes on. Pace off will be the way to go for the bowlers. Most finals are won in the head. It will turn a little bit. If you win the toss, you bat first. Without grass, the ball will skid on and as an opener you need to be cautious not to get beaten by the pace,” reckon Rameez Raja and Aaron Finch.
Toss : New Zealand skipper Mitchell Santner won the toss and chose to bat with one expected change in the Playing XI bringing in Nathan Smith for injured Matt Henry. Indian skipper Rohit Sharma who now seems developed a liking for losing tosses smiled as he made no changes in his Playing XI.
Spin quartet keep New Zealand to 251 in CT final due to fifties from Daryl Mitchell and Michael Bracewell
India lost their 15th consecutive toss in ODIs but that did not prevent them from exerting control and keeping New Zealand down to 251 in the final of the ICC Champions Trophy, 2025. New Zealand’s innings started and ended in a flourish through useful cameos but were largely kept in check by India’s spin strength.
Daryl Mitchell fought his way to a 101-ball 63 as he absorbed and tried to revert the pressure exerted by India’s spin quartet. The four of them had not only dragged the game back in India’s favour after a rapid start in the powerplay but changed the colour of the innings overall on a slow surface sticking to straight lines largely.
Early on, it was New Zealand that did all the running thanks to an attacking Rachin Ravindra at the top. The leading run-scorer of the tournament showcased the form he was in with some delectable shots off the pacers. Hardik Pandya was picked up for 16 in an over while Mohammed Shami too was flicked elegantly making Rohit Sharma turn to his spin weapon earlier than at any point previously in the tournament.
Varun Chakravarthy started with a googly that went for four byes first up but created the chance that India was after with Ravindra top-edging a slog-sweep. But Shreyas Iyer, running across from deep midwicket, could not hold on to the opportunity. Ravindra now had two chances put down in as many overs with Shami failing to latch on to a tough return chance before.
It was a final to rescue the tournament that has been short on close contests. India came in with much more ammunition for the conditions than New Zealand, but the toss proved to be a bit of an equaliser. Rachin Ravindra, leading run-getter of the tournament, batted like a dream against the new ball, the best conditions all day long. He scored 37 off 29 in a start that stunned the crowd, helped along by two spilled chances.
But Chakravarthy still managed to break a 58-run opening stand in that over trapping Will Young plumb LBW while missing a flick. After 10 overs, Ravindra was looking in ominous form hitting 37 off the 69 they had raced to.
But Kuldeep Yadav turned the innings on its head with his first delivery of the game – a wrong ‘un that sneaked past Ravindra’s dab. He pulled things further towards India in his following over when he deceived Kane Williamson in the air and accepting a simple return-catch. At 75/3, New Zealand were now made to take the foot off the accelerator as they risked a crash and burn.
Under the pump, India went to their likeliest wicket-takers as opposed to the usual formula of bowling Axar Patel with the new ball. Varun beat Will Young with drift on a legbreak, but the natural variation provided the telling blow to trap him lbw. Kuldeep, just five wickets so far, announced himself on the final with two of the biggest wickets: Ravindra to a wrong’un first ball, and Kane Williamson beaten in the air with big dip and offering a return catch.
Both Tom Latham and Daryl Mitchell went the conservative way even as the boundaries dried up against the spinners. Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel kept the pressure up through the middle overs allowing no freebies even when there was no extravagant turn on offer. The final saw India’s spinners being required to bowl more than they did in any game in the tournament, and that they managed to collectively bowl within stump lines for 37% of the time meant that New Zealand’s risk-taking always came with a greater threat than usual.
Three wickets had fallen to reduce New Zealand to 75 for 3, and it was now up to Tom Latham and Daryl Mitchell to keep wickets in hand for the final push. Mitchell struggled to score fluidly, which meant Latham – a stalwart in the middle overs of ODI cricket – had to take a risk. And when you take a risk against the metronomic Jadeja – 10-0-30-1 – you better not miss because he will get you lbw.
Their 33-run stand off 66 balls contained only one boundary before Latham missed a sweep to be LBW against Jadeja. Mitchell, however, did not deviate from the template that he had for himself and stitched together another dour 57-run stand with Glenn Phillips for the fifth wicket. Both batters were also dropped once each against an uncharacteristically poor day on the field for India’s catchers. But Phillips couldn’t make the most of it as he was bowled by a googly from Chakravarthy for 34.
For the second time in this tournament, India bowled just spin through the middle overs. It was a slow track but offered minimal turn. It is a testament to the quality and the accuracy of India’s spinners that New Zealand were choked through the period. It took them 21 overs to double their ten-over score of 69. Varun came back to get Glenn Phillips in the 38th over, again pushing back their charge.
Bracewell brought back memories of how fluidly Ravindra batted as India went back to pace on ball at the back end. Mitchell, who followed Shreyas Iyer and Shubman Gill into scoring his slowest fifty, now tried an assault but a slower ball from Mohammed Shami got the better of him. Bracewell, though, hit three fours and two sixes to give New Zealand what only looked like respectability at that time.
Mitchell, meanwhile, brought up a hard-fought fifty and began to switch gears alongside an adventurous Michael Bracewell. Their 45-run stand powered New Zealand past 200 but just when they were sizing up for a big finish, Mitchell ended up spooning Shami to cover. But Bracewell was able to keep the momentum going with some smart batting against the pacers in the death overs. He brought up his fifty in the final over and dragged New Zealand past the 250-mark with 35 coming in the last three overs bowled by pace.
Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer leads India to third Champions Trophy title in 2025
Despite the stiff challenge posed by New Zealand, India clinched the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 by a four-wicket margin, marking the third time they won this title. Chasing 251 in the final on a tricky surface in Dubai, India were put under pressure both with the bat and ball but they managed to put in a collective effort that saw them get over the line to go through the tournament unbeaten, and add a seventh ICC senior trophy to their cabinet.
India got off to a rollicking start in the chase led by skipper Rohit Sharma. In a 105-run opening stand, Rohit Sharma dominated contributing 69 off 63 and setting the tone early. With the conditions favouring spin, both teams targeted the pacers well with Rohit Sharma’s assault nearly making a mockery of the chase. The first eight overs bowled by New Zealand’s pacers, sans their injured spearhead Matt Henry, saw Rohit Sharma race off to 47 in a team score of 59.
Even that respectability looked dodgy the way Rohit Sharma started the chase. Some sensational hitting off the fast bowlers – including Nathan Smith, the replacement for Matt Henry, the leading wicket-taker of the tournament who injured his shoulder – pushed Santner’s hand. He brought himself on in the ninth over, but the best he and Ravindra could manage was a few relatively quiet overs.
It forced Mitchell Santner to bring himself on but by and large the openers were able to keep the run-rate up even while toning down the aggression. Reaching 106 by 19 overs, India were firmly in the driver’s seat before New Zealand pulled things back.
Santner had Shubman Gill caught splendidly at cover by a leaping Glenn Phillips, who added to his highlights reel of eye-popping catches, while Michael Bracewell struck with his first ball turning one past Virat Kohli’s flick to trap him LBW for one. Losing two wickets in the space of four balls put the pressure back on India and New Zealand’s spinners began to apply the choke. Even a well-set Rohit Sharma had to cut the risks out while Shreyas Iyer settled in.
In the first over after the drinks break, Phillips produced his third unbelievable catch of the tournament, leaping high at extra cover and plucking a one-hander to send Gill back. With his first ball, Bracewell trapped Kohli lbw for one. Now the easy runs stopped. Rohit Sharma slowed down, looking like he was setting himself up for an old-fashioned Rohit Sharma knock. Then, though, after a spell of eight overs for 19 runs and two wickets, he charged at Ravindra, looking to hit his fourth six of the night, missed, and was stumped.
This brought about a phase of 11 dot balls in a row before Rohit Sharma gave charge to Rachin Ravindra only to be stumped. At 122/3, the game was tilting back to parity with India in need of another partnership.
Axar Patel and Shreyas Iyer mixed caution with aggression to push things back. The latter got a life early on when Will Young made a valiant attempt at the deep mid-wicket boundary to take a catch but stepped onto the ropes while tossing it back into play.
Iyer and Patel went about a sedate stand but added 62 crucial runs with Kyle Jamieson dropping a sitter at long on when Iyer was on 44. But that did not prove too costly as Iyer took on Mitchell Santner soon after in an attempt to clear short fine leg only to be taken by Rachin Ravindra. With the asking rate hovering around the run-a-ball mark, KL Rahul came in and lofted Santner for a six early on easing some nerves. But there was another twist on course as a well-set Patel miscued a loft off Bracewell to hole out to long off.
Iyer, two half-centuries to his name already, and Axar then repaired the damage with a 61-run partnership from 122 for 3. Iyer was the edgier of the two. Young caught him at the deep midwicket fence but touched the boundary skirting, Jamieson dropped him as he tried two consecutive sixes off Phillips, the sixth dropped catch between the two teams.
When Iyer fell in the 39th over, caught off Santner at short fine leg, India needed 67 off 68. The asking rate only hovered around a run a ball – the biggest difference between the balls and runs was four with six overs left. Confident in their depth, India kept taking the odd risk and kept hitting sixes. When pace finally came back on, the calm Rahul took India ahead. Jamieson provided one final stumbling block with Hardik’s wicket off a nasty bouncer in the 48th over, but India still had Jadeja in the bank.
Needing 48 in as many balls, the final was still firmly in balance. But Rahul and Hardik Pandya got boundaries ever so often at the back-end to keep India well within the asking rate. Pandya’s 18-ball 18 was ended by a bouncer from Jamieson but India needed only 11 off 15 by this point. Some smart batting from Jadeja and Rahul thereafter saw India home staving off a stiff fight from New Zealand.
Just as they did with the ball, New Zealand had made sure that India wouldn’t run away with the game with the bat as well. Despite a sustained effort from India’s spinners, they managed to get to a competitive total.
Presentations and Road Ahead
Rohit Sharma the winning Indian skipper said : I want to appreciate everyone who came out and supported us. The crowd here has been magnificent, it is not our home ground but they made it our home ground. The number of people that came here to watch us play and to get that result in the end was very very satisfying.
Not just this game but right from the beginning, our spinners in particular, there’s too much expectations when you are playing on a pitch like that, but they never disappointed. We do understand their strengths playing on pitches like this, it helped them and we used that to our advantage. We played some really good cricket and throughout the tournament in terms of our bowling we were very very consistent.
(on KL) Very very solid mind, never gets overawed by the pressure around him, that’s one of the reason we wanted to have him in the middle phase, to try and finish off the game for us. With his experience and class, there’s a bit of calmness when he bats and he picks the right shot to play in the pressure situation which allows the other guys who are batting around him to come out and play freely for example Hardik.
He came out and played some really good shots in both games which gave us a little bit of a breather. Overall the batsmanship that was shown by all our batters throughout the tournament was superb. (on Varun) He has got something different about him – I have said it many a times.
When you are playing on a pitch like that you want the batters to force on him and that’s where he becomes a lot more dangerous, that was the thought which went behind getting him into the squad and actually playing him. He didn’t start off in the tournament for us, but when he played against New Zealand and he got five wickets, we saw the kind of ability he possesses with the ball and we wanted to maximise that and he did not disappoint.
He has got great quality about his bowling and luckily for us it came to use at various times. Very grateful, really appreciate their support coming out in huge numbers and getting behind the team. It may not be seen as useful as the game that we play but when they come out and get behind the team it makes a huge difference. And like I said, they made it feel like home so that was very very good from them.
Mitchell Santner the losing NZ skipper 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 just beaten by a good side who turned up today. Lot of good stuff from our group, guys stepping up at different times and everyone contributed, that’s all you can ask for as a captain and as a team.
(on slowing down during the middle-overs) It was good bowling. We lost a couple of wickets after the powerplay. They really got the squeeze on. Credit to the way their spinners bowled, all four of them, world-class bowlers and they showed that again today. We were probably 20 under, maybe 25 under of what we wanted to get but we knew we had a total, we tried to fight and that’s what we did. (on Phillips’ catch) 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, almost a run-a-ball on that wicket and it put us on the back foot, but we knew the game could change quickly and we kept chipping away at the wickets and stayed in the game.
(on Ravindra) We have seen how he steps up in these major events which is all you can ask for, he has been outstanding with the ball and even GP. He understands his game at such a young age and has a massive future no doubt, even today the way he put the pressure back on India for a while there.
It has been very enjoyable, made easier by the group. Different guys stepping up at different times makes my job a little bit easier and I can’t thank the boys enough for the work they have put in this tournament. We had different challenges but we have adapted as quickly as we can to each surface we have played on, playing on different wickets throughout and yeah so close but it has been a great tournament.
Rachin Ravindra Player of the Tournament for his incredible performances said : Obviously it is bitter-sweet. It was a great final. We played some really good cricket in the lead up, it was a good game and congratulations to India. The build up to the tournament was great and playing for a great team was very enjoyable.
I don’t know, maybe we get to play on good wickets, I enjoy tournament cricket because it is the accumulation of the work you have done and it is a common goal of getting to the final, so you take each game by that and I certainly enjoyed that. Very proud of my past.
There are so many people to thank along the way that I couldn’t do that if I sit here for an hour. Very thankful for everyone who has helped me along the way and it would have been nice to have the icing on the cake by winning the trophy, but it is what it is, cricket can be a cruel game sometimes.
I always like to bowl. Santner always gives me a bit of banter that I am not bowling enough in the nets, I have to do that to add a little bit more overs.
All members of the squad have a part to play and that’s great with the Black Caps squad, not necessarily like an established player or a newbie, that’s the beauty about the environment and we just quietly go about our business and show confidence in the team. When you have more experience going along, it helps you in situations like this.
Rohit Sharma Player of the Match for his 76 runs said : It is very nice. We played some really good cricket whole through the tournament, to come out here and having the result our way is a great feeling, very very happy with how we played this game.
It (attacking game) is not natural to me but it is something I really wanted to do, when you are trying to do something different you need the backing of the team, you need the backing of the management and they were right through with me. In the ODI World Cup as well with Rahul bhai, this is what I spoke to him and he was very much okay with it, and now Gauti bhai as well.
It’s all about getting the backing of the team and the management as well. It’s something I really wanted to do. I have played all these years in a different style, but I wanted to try and do something different, try and see if we can play differently and get the results that we were looking for.
Having played here on few occasions, you understand the nature of the pitch, what it does initially upfront with the new-ball, using my feet is something I have been doing for a long time now and it is about being clear in my mind,
I was very clear how I wanted to execute that first 5-6 overs, I have gotten out doing that as well but I never wanted to look away from that, the results is not going to be consistent in what I’m trying to achieve, but as long as it serves the purpose of the team, if it serves the purpose of what we are trying to do, I am happy with that.
It makes a lot easier and gives you that freedom as well, which is why I wanted to have batting depth as long as possible, as deep as possible. Playing 8 batsmen, Jadeja coming at 8 gives you that confidence to go slightly hard upfront with the new-ball, if it comes off it comes off, if it doesn’t then so be it. As long as I’m clear in my mind, that’s the most important thing.
New Zealand defended with all their might against heavy favourites India. But, in the end, India had just too much quality and depth for them, and ended their second straight ICC tournament unbeaten. They now hold two of the four ICC trophies, having lost in the final of the other two. In the last three ICC tournaments alone, India have won 22 of their 23 completed matches.
On a tired pitch, run-scoring followed a similar pattern to earlier games. Having won a crucial toss – India have lost their last 15 ODI tosses – New Zealand raced away to 69 for 1 in the powerplay, but the high-quality spin from India dragged them back.
On a pitch offering them the least turn of all matches in Dubai this tournament, the four India spinners bowled 38 overs between them to concede just 144 runs and take five wickets. Again, as New Zealand got pace on ball at the death, Michael Bracewell scored 53 off 40 to give himself and his bowling colleagues a target.
India made a similarly breezy start of 64 for 0 in the powerplay, but New Zealand kept clawing their way back despite a 105-run opening stand between Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill. Lacking the mystery of Varun Chakravarthy or the rare left-arm wrist spin art of Kuldeep Yadav, New Zealand capitalised on the increased turn – average of 2 degrees in the first innings, 3.4 in the second – and tested India thoroughly. Their spinners bowled 35 overs for 152 runs and five wickets.
Every batter other than Virat Kohli got a start – scores ranged between Rohit’s 76 and Hardik Pandya’s run-a-ball 18 – but none of them completed the job. Their incredible depth, though, prevailed as KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja saw them through with one over to spare and four wickets in hand.
FOUR, INDIA are the CHAMPIONS. Jadeja has his arms aloft and blows a kiss to someone. Rahul too has his arms high soaking up the moment. The fireworks goes off at the ground.
Some of the Indian players run onto the ground to lift Jadeja and Rahul. Jadeja points to the name on the back. Some of the ghosts of that 2023 World Cup loss might be buried with this victory. Rohit Sharma and the rest of the players make their way out to the middle. Coming to the ball: Short of length delivery angled in, Jadeja gets into a good position and nails the pull behind square leg
Phew! What a final! It was tense, it was nerve-wracking, it kept swinging from one team to the other and in the end India just had enough ammunition in their tank. Rohit Sharma set the tone for the chase when he pulled the second ball of the innings for a maximum. The skipper was switched on today and he got India off to a flying start.
Gill was happy to play second fiddle and together the pair added a 100+ stand. At that stage, it looked like India would canter home comfortably but that was not the case. Glenn Phillips pulled off arguably the catch of the tournament to break the partnership and Bracewell struck soon after to send Kohli back. The squeeze was on and Rohit Sharma, who had raced to 76, fell due to that pressure.
The game was even-stevens at that stage. New Zealand’s spinners were on top and India needed someone to soak up the pressure, and that’s what Shreyas Iyer did along with Axar Patel. The duo steadied the chase and kept the scoreboard ticking over. They added a 50+ stand and looked in control when the second drinks break was taken but this is a final and nothing is a given.
Iyer played three dots and that got to him as he tried something fancy and perished in the process. Axar as well could not see out Bracewell’s spell and fell trying to clear the boundary. New Zealand were back in it but that’s where India’s depth came to the fore, Rahul was cool and calm at one end, Hardik played a couple of big shots to get India closer and then Jadeja finished it off.
As soon as Jadeja saw the ball heading towards the fence, he was beginning to celebrate, did not even see O’Rourke who he bumped into inadvertently. Kohli roars and then is hugged by Nayar and Gambhir hugs Kohli. Jadeja was seen blowing kisses in the direction of the Indian dressing room. Rahul had his arms outstretched. Varun, Rana and Arshdeep were the first to run on to the field and hug Jadeja and KL. Gambhir is sporting a smile. Rohit then walks out to the middle with a big smile on his face.
The customary handshakes follow between the two teams. Gambhir is lifted by Jadeja while Rohit Sharma hugs Shreyas. Rohit Sharma and Kohli take a stump each as a souvenir and with big smiles on their faces indulge in some playful Dandiya – a folk dance from Gujarat. They then pose for the cameras who lap up the duo together. Rana, Jadeja and Arshdeep do a jig and perform the Gangnam Style move. India jubilant even as they take their time to console New Zealand.
India were playing only at one venue. India were staying at one place. India were not traveling. India had the advantage. But India still needed to go out there and win a game of cricket which they managed to do each and every time. They were put under pressure at various times but they found someone to bail them out. That was the beauty of this win. Each and every member played a part at some point of the tournament or the other.
There were hundreds from Gill and Kohli, Shami and Varun picked up 5-fers, Iyer was the highest run-getter, Rahul was calm while chasing, Axar and Jadeja were at their miserly best, Kuldeep picked up those two important wickets in the final, while skipper Rohit Sharma saved his best for the most important game. This was a strong Indian team, they were the favorites and they lived up to that billing.
New Zealand and their heartbreaks in a final. The 2019 World Cup loss might be still haunting some of the players and now they have another to deal with. But they played some brilliant cricket through the tournament and just fell short today. Always flying under the radar at the start of an ICC tournament but time and again they reach the semis or the final thanks to their collective team work.
Their experienced pacers – Tim Southee and Trent Boult have retired from the format, Matt Henry, their lead bowler, was ruled out on the morning of the game, there was no wrist spinner in the XI and still they ran India so close. Mitchell Santner was brilliant as a captain. He did the best with the resources he had at his disposal. He and his team can walk away from this final with their heads held high.
The teams gather in front of the ‘Champions’ hoarding and have photographs taken before Virat sprays champagne all over Rishabh Pant. Hardik takes the trophy out to the pitch and has some photographs taken. He’s promptly joined by Jadeja, Axar and Shubman. There are groups of players celebrating all around.
Virat and Rohit Sharma are having a chat, Shreyas Iyer is dancing as confetti swirls around everywhere. The teams reconvene at the ‘Champions’ hoarding and have more photographs taken, this time with the entire support staff as well. Shreyas Iyer and Harshit Rana pose in front of it and show off a couple of moves. They then take turns posing with the trophy. Rohit Sharma, Virat and Jadeja walk off towards their families.
The winners’ white jackets are being presented to the Indian players. Starting with Varun Chakravarthy and they all come one by one. Rohit is the last one in the lineup. Will he do the slow walk today as well Jay Shah to present the trophy. Rohit collects the trophy. The rest of the team join him on the podium. The confetti goes off in the background as India celebrate under the CHAMPIONS 2025 board. The celebrations will go late into the night.
The Champions Trophy returned after a gap of 8 years. Pakistan were the defending champions and the host nation. Though there were some washed out games and Pakistan themselves crashed out after the group stage, there was some quality cricket played from the other teams. Australia’s 350+ chase, Ibrahim Zadran’s once in a lifetime knock against England, the semis and final involving India went down to the wire. It was a short and quick tournament and now with celebrations and few days of rest the focus will shift to IPL Season 18.