Glenn Phillips’ Stunning Catch in 2025 Champions Trophy Final

Glenn Phillips once again demonstrated his exceptional fielding skills during the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy final between India and New Zealand, held on March 9 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. This crucial match saw New Zealand in dire need of a breakthrough after India’s opening partnership dominated the early overs.

In a match where New Zealand found themselves under the pressure of India’s strong start, having scored 105 for no loss in the 19th over, Phillips provided a game-changing moment. His remarkable athleticism was on full display as he took a stunning one-handed catch to dismiss India’s opener, Shubman Gill. The catch came off the bowling of Mitchell Santner and occurred in just 0.78 seconds reaction time. This dismissal was crucial, providing New Zealand with a much-needed breakthrough.

This was not Phillips’ only highlight during the tournament. In the group stages, he had already set the tone by taking two remarkable one-handed catches to send Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan and India’s stalwart Virat Kohli back to the pavilion. His contributions in the field have been instrumental in New Zealand’s progression in the tournament.

Following Shubman Gill’s dismissal, India faced further setbacks. Star batsman Virat Kohli was soon dismissed by Michael Bracewell, trapped LBW after just two deliveries. Kohli opted to review the decision, but the DRS returned three reds, confirming his dismissal. Subsequently, New Zealand applied pressure on the Indian batsmen, including Shreyas Iyer and Rohit Sharma, significantly affecting India’s scoring rate. Despite Rohit Sharma reaching a half-century, he struggled to keep the momentum and eventually was stumped by Tom Latham from Rachin Ravindra’s bowling, having misjudged the ball’s turn.

The partnership between Rohit Sharma and Shreyas Iyer, though stable, was slow to score, contributing only 16 runs off 42 deliveries. This change in momentum saw India’s score shrink from a promising 105/0 in the 19th over to a vulnerable 122/3 by the 27th over.

Glenn Phillips’ catch was not only a top highlight in the match but also set the tone for New Zealand’s disciplined bowling performance, which successfully applied pressure on the Indian lineup in a crucial match setting in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy.