India wins the Champions Trophy under Rohit Sharma, defeating New Zealand in a battle of grit.

India won the Champions Trophy final by four wickets thanks to an all-around performance from their spinners and the captain's knock from Rohit Sharma on the big day. India achieved the third-ever title of Champions of Champions.

Ankush Pandey Ankush Pandey
Mar 9, 2025 - 21:27 Updated: Mar 9, 2025 - 21:37
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India wins the Champions Trophy under Rohit Sharma, defeating New Zealand in a battle of grit.
India wins the Champions Trophy under Rohit Sharma, defeating New Zealand in a battle of grit.

INTRO

  • India won the ICC men's ODI championship for the first time in thirteen years.
  • India chased down 252 in Dubai thanks to Rohit Sharma's scorching 76.
  • Indian spinners stepped up to the plate and provided Rohit with the goods.

In a moment of confirmation for India's redesigned ODI strategy, Rohit Sharma's team won their first major 50-over championship in twelve years. At the Champions Trophy 2025 final in Dubai on Sunday, March 9, India won the top prize by defeating New Zealand by four wickets.

India defeated Australia, the two-time champions, to become the first team to win the Champions Trophy three times. Only after MS Dhoni did Rohit Sharma become the second Indian captain to win multiple ICC men's white-ball championships. IND vs. NZ, END: SEMINARS

CAPTAIN ROHIT LEADS FROM THE FRONT

India beat New Zealand, one of their fiercest rivals in ICC tournaments, in a battle of the grits, helped by Rohit Sharma's iconic 76 and an all-around bowling display from their strong spin quartet. Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav both took two wickets, and New Zealand wasted a strong start to post 251, a par total on the slow Dubai pitch.

Rohit Sharma demonstrated his dedication to an all-or-nothing strategy by leading from the front with a captain's knock. His ability to balance aggression and caution paid off, even though he initially appeared intent on sending a few into the stands. Despite taking on the responsibility of scoring runs in the middle order after opener Shubman Gill and star batsman Virat Kohli fell early, he was unable to persevere through the chase to the end.

"We had some excellent cricket throughout the competition, so it's wonderful to come out on top and win. After winning Player of the Match in the final, Rohit Sharma remarked, "I'm really happy with how we played this game."

Before KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya maintained their poise to move India closer to the finish line, Shreyas Iyer played a significant role, scoring 48. Particularly after India lost Hardik in the final overs, the chase remained tense.

But in the 49th over, KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja made sure India won and cemented their place in history.

Rachin Ravindra gave the New Zealand innings a scorching start, but earlier in the day, India used their spin quartet to regain control. Without hesitation, captain Mitchell Santner chose to bat first on a pitch that appeared bone-dry in the afternoon sun, handing Rohit Sharma his 12th straight defeat at the toss.

Rachin Ravindra, on the other hand, batted as though he were in Lahore, which had some of the tournament's flattest surfaces. Fresh off a century against South Africa in the semi-final, the left-handed opener attacked Hardik Pandya and Mohammed Shami, two of India's fast bowlers. Standing tall against the quicks and playing them with the same authority that has made him a star of the next generation, Rachin was at his best.

As early as the sixth over, Rohit Sharma had to turn to spin, passing the ball to Varun Chakravarthy, who was looking for a breakthrough. Indian spectators became alarmed as New Zealand quickly surpassed 50 in the seventh over.

India's fielding did not help either, as Mohammed Shami and Shreyas Iyer dropped the dangerous Rachin twice during the powerplay. But Varun Chakravarthy's dismissal of Will Young, ending a 58-run opening partnership, was the turning point.

ROHIT SHARMA AT HIS TACTICAL BEST

Until the end of the powerplay, Rohit continued to play Mohammed Shami from one end, but after the fielding restrictions were removed, he started spinning from both ends. Kuldeep Yadav, who had gone wicketless in the semi-final match against Australia, was Rohit's first choice before choosing Axar Patel or Ravindra Jadeja.

The big fish, Ravindra, was dismissed by Kuldeep Yadav's lightning-fast strike with the opening delivery of his spell. By giving Rachin no sighter, Kuldeep committed a wrongdoing and benefited from it. In the middle, Rachin looked fantastic and appeared to be headed for a big score, but Kuldeep's skill completely undid him.

Rohit and the Indian supporters were even happier when Kuldeep took Kane Williamson's vital wicket for 11. With the ball stopping on the pitch and requiring a leading edge, the lack of pace fooled the former captain of New Zealand.

After spin was added, New Zealand lost three wickets for a total of just eighteen runs.

After that, Tom Latham and Daryl Mitchell were put through a rigorous trial by spin. It took them 66 deliveries, but the two added 33 runs for the fourth wicket.

Latham was trapped LBW for 14 by Ravindra Jadeja, adding to New Zealand's problems. The pressure finally got to the New Zealand Test captain, who struggled to get a move on and ended up scoring at a strike rate below 50.

During his 57-run stand with Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips tried to accelerate. At the beginning of his innings, he appeared proactive and even once smashed Kuldeep into the stands. India's spin stranglehold, however, suffocated him as well.

Rohit was playing at his peak tactically, making flawless use of the weapons in his four-man spin attack. To keep the batters from New Zealand from settling, he rotated his spinners in brief bursts.

In the middle overs, Varun Chakravarthy was excellent at attacking the stumps and keeping the ball tight. Ravindra Jadeja was just as successful, finishing his quota of 10 overs first.

Eventually, Varun's gorgeous googly dismissed Glenn Phillips for 34, adding to the pressure on New Zealand.

Michael Bracewell hit a quick 53 off 40 deliveries to give the Kiwis some respite from the Indian spinners. But Mitchell was dismissed for 63 in the 46th over by Mohammed Shami after failing to turn his slow knock into a more forceful one.