India lift third Champions Trophy as Rohit, Rahul steer thrilling chase

Despite a tough challenge from New Zealand, India secured the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 with a four-wicket victory, claiming the title for the third time. Chasing a target of 251 on a tricky Dubai pitch, India faced pressure in both batting and bowling but delivered a well-rounded performance to finish the tournament unbeaten. This triumph also marked their seventh ICC senior trophy.

India's chase got off to a flying start, thanks to skipper Rohit Sharma. He dominated a 105-run opening stand, smashing 69 off 63 balls and setting an aggressive tone early. With spin-friendly conditions, both sides targeted the fast bowlers, and Rohit's blistering start made the chase look effortless. In the first eight overs, he powered his way to 47, taking India's score to 59, even as New Zealand missed the services of their injured spearhead, Matt Henry.

This forced Mitchell Santner to introduce himself into the attack, but the openers maintained the scoring rate even while adjusting their aggression. At 106/0 in 19 overs, India seemed in control, but New Zealand staged a comeback.

Santner dismissed Shubman Gill with a stunning leaping catch from Glenn Phillips at cover, while Michael Bracewell struck immediately, trapping Virat Kohli LBW for one. Losing two wickets in four balls put India under pressure, and the Kiwi spinners tightened their grip. Even a well-set Rohit had to curb his attacking instincts, while Shreyas Iyer settled in.

A period of 11 consecutive dot balls built tension before Rohit charged at Rachin Ravindra, only to be stumped. At 122/3, the game was finely balanced, and India needed another solid partnership.

Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel combined caution with aggression to steady the innings. Iyer had an early stroke of luck when Will Young attempted a spectacular boundary-line catch but stepped onto the ropes. The duo put together 62 vital runs, with Kyle Jamieson dropping Iyer on 44 at long-on. However, that reprieve didn’t cost much, as Iyer soon fell to Santner, caught by Ravindra while attempting a flick over short fine leg.

With the required run rate hovering near a run-a-ball, KL Rahul arrived and immediately eased nerves with a six off Santner. But another twist followed as Patel miscued a lofted shot off Bracewell, falling at long-off.

With 48 runs needed from 48 balls, the match was still in the balance. However, Rahul and Hardik Pandya kept finding timely boundaries to keep India on track. Pandya’s 18-ball 18 ended with a short-ball dismissal from Jamieson, but by then, India needed only 11 off 15 deliveries. Smart batting from Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja ensured India crossed the line, overcoming a spirited challenge from New Zealand.

New Zealand had earlier ensured India didn’t have an easy chase by posting a competitive total, despite being tested by India's spinners.

Daryl Mitchell battled to a 101-ball 63, countering the relentless pressure applied by India’s spin attack. The spin quartet not only halted New Zealand’s early momentum but also dictated terms on a slow surface by maintaining tight lines.

New Zealand had started brightly, led by an attacking Rachin Ravindra. The tournament’s leading run-scorer displayed fine stroke play, especially against the pacers, hammering Hardik Pandya for 16 in an over and flicking Mohammed Shami with elegance. This prompted Rohit Sharma to introduce spin earlier than usual.

Varun Chakaravarthy’s first delivery—a googly—went for four byes, but he soon created a breakthrough as Ravindra top-edged a slog-sweep. However, Iyer, running in from deep midwicket, couldn’t hold onto the catch. Moments later, Shami spilled a sharp return catch, giving Ravindra another life.

Despite those missed chances, Chakaravarthy eventually broke the 58-run opening stand, trapping Will Young LBW as he missed a flick. Ravindra, looking in ominous touch on 37, was then undone by Kuldeep Yadav’s very first ball—a deceptive wrong 'un that sneaked past his attempted dab. Kuldeep struck again in his next over, deceiving Kane Williamson in flight and taking a return catch.

At 75/3, New Zealand were forced into a more cautious approach to avoid further damage. Tom Latham and Daryl Mitchell adopted a conservative strategy as boundaries dried up against India’s spinners. Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel kept things tight in the middle overs, denying freebies despite the absence of excessive turn.

The final saw India’s spinners bowl more overs than in any previous game of the tournament, maintaining tight stump-to-stump lines for 37% of their deliveries. This increased the risk factor for New Zealand’s batters, forcing them into caution.

Latham and Mitchell’s 33-run partnership spanned 66 balls, featuring just one boundary before Latham missed a sweep and was trapped LBW by Jadeja. Mitchell, however, stuck to his game plan, building a crucial 57-run stand with Glenn Phillips. Both batters had lives after being dropped in the field on an unusually sloppy day for India’s catchers. But Phillips couldn’t capitalize, falling to another Chakaravarthy googly after making 34.

Mitchell reached a well-earned half-century and looked to accelerate alongside Michael Bracewell. Their 45-run stand helped New Zealand push past 200, but just when they aimed for a strong finish, Mitchell mistimed a shot to cover off Shami.

Bracewell, however, continued to find gaps and rotated the strike effectively, guiding New Zealand past the 250-mark. He brought up his fifty in the final over, with 35 runs coming in the last three overs against India's pacers.

Brief Scores:

New Zealand 251/7 (Daryl Mitchell 63, Michael Bracewell 53*; Varun Chakaravarthy 2-45, Kuldeep Yadav 2-40)
India 254/6 (Rohit Sharma 76, Shreyas Iyer 48) won by 4 wickets.