Dubai, March 9 – Under the leadership of captain Rohit Sharma, India secured a historic third Champions Trophy title after defeating New Zealand by four wickets. The victory was powered by Rohit's commanding knock and India's spin attack, which dismantled the opposition's batting lineup.
Ahead of the match, speculations about Rohit Sharma’s retirement were rife, but the Indian skipper silenced his critics with a stellar performance. Under his captaincy, India has now won two ICC titles, following their T20 World Cup triumph in 2024. With this victory, India became the only team to have won the Champions Trophy three times, adding to their previous titles in 2002 and 2013.
New Zealand set a target of 251 runs, with Daryl Mitchell and Michael Bracewell scoring half-centuries to stabilize their innings. Mitchell’s 63 off 101 balls and Bracewell’s quickfire 53 off 40 balls helped the Kiwis reach a competitive total. However, India's spinners exploited the pitch conditions effectively. Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy took crucial wickets at regular intervals, ensuring that New Zealand's batting lineup never gained full momentum.
Chasing 251, Rohit Sharma led from the front with a solid 76 off 83 balls, anchoring India's innings. Despite early setbacks, India chased down the target with an over to spare. KL Rahul played the finisher’s role, remaining unbeaten on 34. Nathan Smith, replacing the injured Matt Henry, found himself on the receiving end as Rohit hammered him for two sixes and two boundaries.
Rohit and Shubman Gill provided a strong start with a 105-run opening stand before Gill fell for 31, courtesy of a brilliant catch by Glenn Phillips off Mitchell Santner’s bowling. Virat Kohli received a warm reception from the crowd but was dismissed for a two-ball duck, trapped leg-before by Bracewell.
Post the powerplay, Rohit slowed down, adding just 27 runs in the next 16 overs, choosing to play cautiously against the spinners. However, his dismissal came when he stepped out to attack Rachin Ravindra but was stumped by Tom Latham. At that stage, India still needed 130 runs to win.
Shreyas Iyer (48) and Axar Patel (29) then built a crucial 61-run partnership, keeping India on course.
Earlier, New Zealand won the toss and opted to bat, but their innings lacked stability. The opening stand saw Rachin Ravindra attack Hardik Pandya with consecutive boundaries, but his dismissal triggered a collapse. Varun Chakravarthy removed Will Young early, while Kuldeep Yadav’s entry in the 11th over turned the tide. Kuldeep struck with his first delivery, clean-bowling Ravindra with a sharp googly, breaking the 57-run partnership.
In the following over, Kuldeep dismissed New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson with a brilliant return catch, reducing New Zealand to 75/3 in 12.2 overs. The Kiwi batting unit struggled against India’s disciplined spin attack, failing to find the boundary for the next 81 deliveries. Phillips eventually broke the shackles with a six off Kuldeep over long-off.
The spin quartet of Kuldeep, Chakravarthy, Axar Patel, and Ravindra Jadeja bowled 38 overs, conceding just 144 runs. Chakravarthy later removed Phillips, who misread a googly, breaking a crucial 57-run stand for the fifth wicket.
Mitchell remained resilient, reaching his fifty off 91 balls and adding 46 runs with Bracewell for the sixth wicket. However, Mohammad Shami dismissed him in the 46th over, with Rohit completing a sharp catch at covers.
New Zealand managed to score 50 runs in the last five overs, setting India a target of 251. However, India's composed chase and Rohit's leadership ensured they crossed the finish line, securing yet another ICC trophy.
