India won their third ICC Champions Trophy crown in a heart-stopping final over New Zealand, securing a four-wicket victory at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday. India chased down 252 and showed initial command with Rohit Sharma’s aggressive 76 but experienced instability during the middle overs. The match went right to the end, with India winning it in the 49th over courtesy of KL Rahul’s composed and peaceful 34*.
This victory made India the first side to win the Champions Trophy a third time after it had previously won the event in 2002 and 2013.
India’s Supremacy in the Final
India made a good beginning as captain Rohit Sharma set the tone from the very beginning, belting a fine 76 with precision. Though after a solid start, wickets began falling in rapid succession, causing heart-in-mouth moments in the middle. The pursuit, which looked comfortable at some point, turned tricky as wickets fell to India at a regular interval. At 183 for three from 38 overs, India seemed to be in command, but two rapid wickets brought New Zealand back into the game.
Hardik Pandya delivered a match-winning cameo of 18 runs, keeping the run rate in touch. Eventually, KL Rahul kept his cool and guided India home, remaining unbeaten on 34 from 33 balls.
Virat Kohli Looks Back at India’s Journey
After the match, Virat Kohli was satisfied with the way India performed and lauded the young players.
“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.”
Kohli also praised New Zealand’s consistency and fielding expertise:
“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 (Kane Williamson) on the losing side, only love between us..”
Shubman Gill Loved Rohit Sharma’s Masterclass
Shubman Gill, who was key to the chase, was all praise for Rohit Sharma’s batting and captaincy.
“Felt amazing. For the most time, I sat back and enjoyed Rohit’s batting. He told me doesn’t matter how the scoreboard gap is, the aim was to bat till the end. We missed out in 2023, happy to win eight ODIs back to back.”
Gill also stressed New Zealand’s precision in execution:
“Seeing the intensity with which he plays with is amazing. He keeps telling us to give it everything and backs it up. NZ are very consistent and execute plans accurately. We know they give it their all. They showed it tonight with the consistency.”
KL Rahul Became Emotional After Game
“Not sure I can say this on air but I was s****** myself. As confident as I could be that I could get over the line. Keeping composure is all that matters, happy to have done it this time. I’ve batted in times like this in three out of the five games. Hard to put in words, but the team has pure skill. The way we’ve all had to play cricket growing up, we faced pressure from the time we became professional cricketers. The BCCI have groomed all of them and we’ve challenging ourselves to get better,” said Rahul.
India’s Historic Campaign
With this triumph, India claimed the Champions Trophy unbeaten, a testament to their dominance across the tournament. The title triumph is also an redemption for the disappointment of the 2017 final where India came up short.
New Zealand, though defeated, confirmed their mettle with a gritty campaign. Their tight bowling and snappy fielding kept them in the game till the end.
While fireworks illuminated the Dubai horizon, Team India celebrated their record breakthrough with legendary dance steps and tearful hugs. It not only made them legends in the Champions Trophy but also reasserted their position as one of the world’s cricketing giants.