Rohit Sharma Leads India Win ICC Champions Trophy Glory After 12 Years, Defeats NZ by 4 Wickets

Photo : AP

India made history on Sunday (March 9) by winning the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, defeating New Zealand by 4 wickets in the final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. This victory marks India’s third Champions Trophy title, making them the most successful team in the tournament’s history.

Rohit Sharma’s Heroic Knock Leads India to Victory

Chasing a target of 252 runs, India reached the finish line in 49 overs, thanks to a brilliant performance by captain Rohit Sharma. He played a crucial knock of 76 runs off 83 balls, hitting 7 fours and 3 sixes. Rohit and Shubman Gill (31) gave India a strong start, adding 105 runs for the first wicket in 18.4 overs.

However, New Zealand fought back quickly, dismissing Gill, Virat Kohli (1), and Rohit in a short span of 17 runs. Gill lost his wicket to an incredible catch by Glenn Phillips, while Kohli was trapped lbw by Michael Bracewell on the first ball he faced. Kohli went for a DRS review, but it did not go in his favor. Rohit tried to stabilize the innings with Shreyas Iyer (48), but he was stumped by Tom Latham while attempting a big shot against Rachin Ravindra.

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India Holds Nerve to Seal the Win

Iyer and Axar Patel (29) added 61 runs for the fourth wicket, helping India regain momentum. However, Iyer once again missed his half-century. When the match seemed to be heading towards a tense finish, KL Rahul (34) and Hardik Pandya (18) played sensibly to guide India closer to the target.

In the final moments of the match, Ravindra Jadeja (9*) hit the winning boundary on the last ball of the 49th over, bowled by William O’Rourke, sealing the victory for India.

Rohit Sharma Joins Elite List of Captains

With this win, Rohit Sharma became only the fifth captain in the world to win multiple ICC trophies. India now has three Champions Trophy titles, winning in 2002, 2013, and 2025.

Teams to Win the Champions Trophy:

India: 2002, 2013, 2025

Australia: 2006, 2009

South Africa: 1998

New Zealand: 2000

Sri Lanka: 2002

West Indies: 2004

Pakistan: 2017

Captains Who Have Won Multiple ICC Titles:

Ricky Ponting (Australia): 4 (2003 & 2007 ODI World Cups, 2006 & 2009 Champions Trophies)

MS Dhoni (India): 3 (2007 T20 World Cup, 2011 ODI World Cup, 2013 Champions Trophy)

Clive Lloyd (West Indies): 2 (1975 & 1979 ODI World Cups)

Pat Cummins (Australia): 2 (2023 WTC, 2023 ODI World Cup)

Rohit Sharma (India): 2 (2024 T20 World Cup, 2025 Champions Trophy)

New Zealand’s Batting Struggles

Earlier, after winning the toss and choosing to bat first, New Zealand got off to a quick start. Rachin Ravindra played an attacking knock of 37 runs off 29 balls, but once India introduced their spinners, the momentum shifted.

Varun Chakaravarthy took the first wicket, dismissing Will Young (15), and Kuldeep Yadav struck immediately after, clean-bowling Rachin. Kuldeep continued his excellent form, catching and bowling Kane Williamson (11) in his next over. There were doubts about Kuldeep’s place in the team before the match, but he proved his critics wrong with a match-winning spell.

Daryl Mitchell (63) tried to anchor the innings, adding 33 runs with Tom Latham (14) and another 57 runs with Glenn Phillips. However, Mitchell struggled to score quickly, managing just three boundaries in his 101-ball stay. Towards the end, Michael Bracewell played a crucial knock of 53 runs off 40 balls, helping New Zealand cross the 250-run mark.

Indian Bowlers Shine

India’s bowlers did an excellent job of restricting New Zealand. Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakaravarthy picked up two wickets each, conceding 40 and 45 runs in their 10 overs. Mohammed Shami and Ravindra Jadeja chipped in with one wicket each.

India Creates History

With this victory, India has become the most successful team in Champions Trophy history, breaking their 12-year title drought. Rohit Sharma’s brilliant captaincy, along with crucial contributions from the team, ensured that the Men in Blue lifted the trophy once again.