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Indian players celebrate with the winners trophy on the podium after defeating New Zealand in the ... [+] final cricket match of the ICC Champions Trophy at Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, March 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Christopher Pike)
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India claimed their third Champions Trophy title with a four-wicket win over New Zealand at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday. The Kiwis fought to the bitter end having posted 251, which was probably 20 or 30 runs short of a par score. India’s spin quartet of Kuldeep Yadav, Ravi Jadeja, Axar Patel and Varun Chakravarthy applied the brakes while Rohit Sharma broke the back of the chase with 76 from 83 balls,
Familiarity with surroundings bred success. India have spent the last three weeks in Dubai and made the venue into a fortress. At the end of 2024, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) told the ICC that the Indian team would not travel to host country Pakistan, citing long-standing security concerns.
The hybrid model of playing in the Emirates was implemented and it couldn’t have gone better for the best ODI side in the world. There will be calls of foul play and favoritism in ceding to India’s requests, but they were the best team in the tournament. The only thing that Gautam Gambhir’s squad have looked like losing since arrival is the toss. Rohit called incorrectly for an incredible twelfth time in a row as Mitchell Santner wasted no time in batting first.
New Zealand started well as Rachin Ravindra began to find the middle with some fearsome hits off Mohammed Shami and Hardik Pandya. New Zealand were 46 for none off the first six overs but that’s as good as it got. Not only did the Kiwis hit the wall in terms of scoring rate, they lost three wickets in the space of four and a half overs. Ravindra’s stumps were breached by Kuldeep’s first ball and then Kane Williamson chipped up a simple return catch to the left arm wrist-spinner.
India tightened the slow death grip which has cut off the run supply across five matches against Bangladesh, Pakistan, Australia and New Zealand (twice). Kuldeep’s 2 for 56 against the Kiwis in the group stage last weekend was the only time one of Rohit’s spinners was taken for more than 50 off their quota.
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