The Men in Blue scripted history by securing their third ICC Champions Trophy title, surpassing Australia’s tally of two. This victory marks India’s second consecutive ICC title, following their T20 World Cup triumph last year. With this win, India became the first team to lift the Champions Trophy three times and ended their decade-long wait for a 50-over ICC title, their last coming in 2013.
The highly anticipated final saw New Zealand win a crucial toss—India had lost their previous 15 ODI tosses—and capitalize early, racing to 69 for 1 in the powerplay. However, India’s disciplined spin attack soon turned the tide. On a Dubai pitch that offered minimal turn, India’s four spinners bowled 38 overs, conceding just 144 runs while taking five wickets. Despite losing wickets in the middle overs, Michael Bracewell led a late resurgence for the Black Caps, smashing 53 off 40 balls, ensuring that New Zealand set a competitive total.
India began their chase confidently, reaching 64 for 0 in the powerplay, with a solid 105-run opening stand between Rohit Sharma (76 off 83) and Shubman Gill. New Zealand’s spinners, leveraging increasing turn—2 degrees in the first innings, 3.4 in the second—kept India in check. Their spinners bowled 35 overs for 152 runs and claimed five crucial wickets.
While most Indian batters, except Virat Kohli, made decent starts, no one could see the chase through entirely. Despite losing wickets at regular intervals, India’s batting depth proved decisive. KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja held their nerves in the final overs, guiding India to 254-6 in 49 overs, securing victory with four wickets in hand and an over to spare.
The victory was met with immense celebration, with cricket legends Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly praising the team’s dominant campaign. Rohit Sharma and his team remained unbeaten, securing wins over Bangladesh, Pakistan, and New Zealand in the group stage, followed by a semifinal victory over Australia before defeating New Zealand once again in the final. Ganguly, who led India to their first Champions Trophy win in 2004, lauded Rohit’s leadership, crediting him for guiding the team to back-to-back ICC titles.
