India The Favorite
Team India was the favourite and so they played. The Final of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 held in Dubai bore witness to an amazing Indian Team, extinguishing the challenge from New Zealand, to add another piece of Silverware to their already glittering cabinet.
Another Toss To Lose For Rohit
Rohit lost the toss for the umpteenth time, but that hardly had any impact on the result of the game. The skillful Indians were too good for the Black Caps and cantered home ( undefeated in the tournament) for a very famous victory.
India ‘s Spin Charmers Turn The Match
India’s spin quartet was exceptional on the day in which the ball turned the least in the entire tournament. Varun, Kuldeep, Axar and Jadeja bowled immaculate lengths to not only stem the flow of runs but also take wickets at crucial intervals.
Rachin Ravindra Makes A Brisk Start
New Zealand made a brisk start thanks to the ever impressive and extremely talented Rachin Ravindra. His array of stroke play, the fast hands (the pull of Hardik Pandya for a 6 was sensational) and a great eye coupled with a good temperament, make him one of the finest of the young generation cricketers.
Varun & Kuldeep’s Critical Strikes
Rohit introduced spin and the game changed on its head. Varun got Will Young and Kuldeep produced a ripper to knock over Rachin in his first over. Losing the in-form southpaw was a blow, but a more telling one was to follow in the form of Kane Williamson. Kuldeep floated a slower one and Williamson mistimed his stroke. Kuldeep accepted the dolly gleefully. He had struck again in his second over and the Kiwis had been dealt a body blow.
New Zealand Lose Their Way
With Williamson gone, Daryl Mitchell and Tom Latham looked to conserve wickets. Their strategy backfired as the Indian spinners further squeezed them with their amazing accuracy. Once Latham departed, Glenn Phillips infused some intent in the Kiwi batting and as soon as he was looking dangerous Varun produced a beauty to castle Glenn Phillips. It was indeed a crucial moment in the game.
Bracewell Powers NZ To 251
Michael Bracewell then staged a fighting rearguard action to score a fifty and take New Zealand to 251, after Daryl Mitchell had departed for a painstaking 63 of 101 balls. It was the slowest fifty by a Kiwi batter in 11 years. It was a below par target and considering India’s batting prowess, they were the favourites to chase it down.
Captain Rohit Comes To The Fore
In the Indian chase, Captain Rohit, came to the fore when it mattered the most. He scored with gay abandon, striking fluently as only he could and entertaining the crowd with his sublime batting skills. Rohit and Gill had a century partnership, which took the game beyond the Black Caps.
Kiwis Fight, But India Too Good
The Kiwis, however, did try to stage a fight and got 3 quick wickets and had India at 122/3, but India’s best batter in the tournament Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel stitched together the most important partnership of 61 runs to put New Zealand completely out of the game. A cool and collected KL Rahul in the company of Hardik Pandya and Jadeja then ensured that India notched up another victory on the World Stage.
Rohit, the Player Of The Match
Rohit, for his courageous and belligerent 76 was awarded the POTM while Rachin Ravindra for his tons of runs in the Tournament (including 2 centuries) was declared the Player of the Tournament.
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