India Clinches Third ICC Champions Trophy Title

India has secured its third ICC Champions Trophy title by defeating New Zealand in a thrilling final held in Dubai. The Men in Blue successfully chased down a target of 252, marking a significant milestone in India’s cricket history.

Rohit Sharma, the Indian captain, made a substantial contribution to the victory with an exceptional innings of 76 runs from 83 balls. His efforts not only guided India to victory but also helped him join Sourav Ganguly as the second Indian captain to score a fifty in a Champions Trophy final. This achievement also meant that Sharma has led teams to the finals of all four Men’s ICC tournaments he has participated in as a captain.

The opening partnership between Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill was vital in setting the tone for India’s chase. They managed to put together a 105-run stand, which is now the third-highest opening partnership in the history of Champions Trophy finals. However, Gill’s innings was cut short by a spectacular one-handed catch by Glenn Phillips.

India’s bowling performance played a crucial role in restricting New Zealand to a score of 251/7. The Indian spin duo of Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav were instrumental in containing the New Zealand batting lineup. Varun Chakravarthy, a late addition to the squad, emerged as one of India’s leading wicket-takers in the tournament with nine wickets, a tally he shared with Mohammed Shami. Kuldeep Yadav was also effective, claiming two vital wickets and conceding just 40 runs in his 10 overs.

Despite notable contributions from New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell and Michael Bracewell, who scored 50 and an unbeaten 53 off 40 balls respectively, they were unable to anchor a successful chase. This victory solidifies India’s place in history as the first team to win the ICC Champions Trophy three times, with previous wins in 2002 and 2013.

Rohit Sharma’s leadership was a key component of India’s triumph. With this victory, he has now joined the ranks of MS Dhoni as the only captains to have won ICC titles in both ODI and T20I formats.