India Clinch Thriller against New Zealand To Win Record 3rd Championship Trophy
India defeated New Zealand by four wickets in the ICC Champions Trophy final in Dubai, securing their place in back-to-back international cricket competitions.
With Rohit Sharma leading the chase with 76 off 83 balls and KL Rahul scoring an undefeated 34, India won the Champions Trophy for the third time on Sunday, finishing 254-6 in 49 overs.
After winning the toss and opting to bat first, New Zealand amassed 251-7 in 50 overs on a slow, two-paced Dubai pitch, aided by half-centuries from Daryl Mitchell and Michael Bracewell.
With seven fours and three sixes, India’s skipper Sharma gave his team a scorching start to the innings. Alongside Rahul, Hardik Pandya hit 18 and put on a vital 38 runs off 36 balls for the sixth wicket.
After the latter team won the toss and chose to bat first, the spinners put up an incredible display, assisting India in limiting the Blakcaps to 251 for 7. Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Shami both claimed one wicket, while Kuldeep Yadav (2 for 40) and Varun Chakravarthy (2 for 45) each claimed two. Michael Bracewell, 53, and Daryl Mitchell, 63, both made vital blows for the Blackcaps. With Rohit Sharma’s commanding 76, India got off to a great start in the chase. KL Rahul (34 not out) and Shreyas Iyer (48) both contributed significant innings as India defeated New Zealand.
After Daryl Mitchell’s half-century played a role, Michael Bracewell’s vital half-century was the main reason why New Zealand ended up at 251/7 in 50 overs against India. With two wickets each, Varun Chakaravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav were India’s strongest bowlers on display. Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel didn’t have many wickets to show for their efforts, but their combined pressure prevented New Zealand from reaching a far more dangerous total.
New Zealand struggled to score runs, but Bracewell’s helped them surpass the 250-run threshold. Virat Kohli’s outstanding effort in the deep saw Mitchell Santner be run out, making him the sixth New Zealand wicket to fall. In order to keep Bracewell on strike and provide New Zealand with the desired conclusion, the skipper gave up his wicket.
Sharma’s post-match press conference put a stop to any rumours that he could retire from one-day internationals.
After winning the T20 World Cup last year, the 37-year-old and Virat Kohli declared their retirement from T20 internationals. This sparked speculation that a similar incident would occur in Dubai.
At the conclusion of the press conference, Sharma said, “One more thing.” “Just to make sure that there are no rumours going forward, I’m not going to retire from this format.”
This seems to open the door for the right-hander to captain India in the Cricket World Cup in 2027.
In the previous three men’s ICC tournaments dating back to 2023, India has won 23 of 24 games; their lone defeat came against Australia in the 2023 Cricket World Cup final.
This competition has been won by both teams before. India’s last victory was in 2013, and in 2017, they finished second behind Pakistan. After a two-day final marred by rain in 2002, they shared the championship with Sri Lanka.
After defeating Australia in the semifinal and Bangladesh, Pakistan, and New Zealand in the group stage, India finished the tournament undefeated.
After defeating Bangladesh in Rawalpindi and Pakistan in Karachi, New Zealand travelled to Dubai to play India.
After that, the Blackcaps went back to Pakistan and defeated South Africa in Lahore, Pakistan, in the second semifinal.
Rohit Sharma: “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. 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. 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.”
Mitchell Santner: “It’s been a good tournament. We have been challenged along the way and the way we have grown as a group. We lost to a better side today. Everyone contributed to the tournament and put their hands up at different rimes. It was good bowling. We lost a couple of wickets after the powerplay and they really got the squeeze on. Credit to how their spinners how they bowled. They are world-class bowlers. We were 20 or 25 under to what we were looking for. That man he keeps doing it. The way Rohit and Gill went about it was great. Rohit going at almost run a ball on that wicket was outstanding. We knew the game could change quickly and that happened. We have seen how he steps up in these tournaments. With the ball as well he stepped up. He understands the game at such a young age. He’s got a massive future. Even today, he went over a run a ball. It has been very enjoyable. Made easy by the group. Different guys stepping up at different times makes it easy. We have had a few challenges but we have adapted. It has been a great tournament.”
Rachin Ravindra, player of the tournament: “Certainly is bitter-sweet. Was a glorious final. The individual accolades are great and playing for a team is great. 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.”
Virat Kohli: “It’s been amazing, we wanted to bounce back after a tough Australia tour. Lovely playing with a bunch of amazing youngsters. They’re stepping up and taking India in the right direction. After playing for so long, you look forward to playing under pressure. To win titles, the whole team has to step up in different games. People have played such impactful knocks and had spells, that collective effort is what has done it for us. I try to speak to these guys, try to share my experience, tell them how I’ve played for so long. When you leave, you want to leave in a better position. So many impactful knocks Gill, Shreyas, Rahul, et al have played. The team is in good hands. We’ve always been in awe of what NZ can do with limited no. of players. They come in with a set plan. Every fielder knows where the bowler will bowl. They have immense belief in their skills, best fielding side. Huge shoutout to them. Sad to see a very good friend on the losing side, only love between us.”
