Listen to this article

India emerged victorious in a thrilling finale of the Champions Trophy 2025, defeating New Zealand by 4 wickets on March 9th at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. This win marks India’s third Champions Trophy title after previous wins in 2002 and 2013, making them the most successful team in the tournament’s history.

Chasing a target of 252 runs set by New Zealand, India achieved victory in the last over, precisely in 49 overs. Rohit Sharma led from the front with a crucial innings of 76 runs off 83 balls, hitting 7 fours and 3 sixes and forming a strong opening partnership with Shubman Gill. The duo added 105 runs for the first wicket in just 18.4 overs.

New Zealand staged a comeback by quickly dismissing Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, and Rohit Sharma within the next 17 runs. Gill was caught by Glenn Phillips for 31 runs, while Kohli was dismissed LBW by Michael Bracewell for a mere 1 run. Despite the setbacks, India stabilized with the help of Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel. Iyer contributed 48 runs and shared a 61-run partnership with Patel for the fourth wicket.

Towards the end of the innings, KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya provided critical support, scoring 34 and 18 runs respectively. However, it was Ravindra Jadeja who secured the win for India, hitting the winning boundary on the last ball of the 49th over.

Earlier in the match, New Zealand batted first, posting 251/9. Daryl Mitchell was the top scorer for New Zealand with 63 runs, while Michael Bracewell added a quick 53 runs off 40 balls during the closing overs. Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakaravarthy were crucial with the ball for India, each taking two wickets.

Rohit Sharma’s leadership was pivotal, as he became the fifth captain to win multiple ICC trophies. This victory strengthens India’s standing in international cricket with their third Champions Trophy win.

Share this post!