DUBAI, UAE (Diya TV) — India won the ICC Champions Trophy on Sunday, beating New Zealand by four wickets in a nail-biting final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Captain Rohit Sharma took the lead from the front, scoring a crucial 76 runs. India chased down New Zealand’s 252-run target with an over to spare.
New Zealand, who batted first, scored 251 runs, with major contributions from Michael Bracewell (53 not out) and Daryl Mitchell (63). India’s spinners, Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy, were the turning point, picking important wickets to keep New Zealand in check.
In India’s pursuit, a one-handed catch by Glenn Phillips stunned the strong opening partnership, leaving India in some confusion for a brief moment. Sharma’s smart utilization of spinners at the start of the game had already tipped the match in India’s direction.
Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, and KL Rahul helped with crucial middle-order support as India achieved the target with six wickets in hand. India won their second successive global championship, having taken the T20 World Cup last year.
The scheduling of the tournament made headlines, as India conducted all their games in spin-friendly Dubai, shunning travel to host country Pakistan for political reasons. This schedule brought up talk about the perceived home advantage of India.
New Zealand’s Rachin Ravindra was awarded Player of the Tournament for his consistent play throughout the tournament. Despite the lack of their top pacer Matt Henry, New Zealand fought hard, demonstrating their depth and strength.
This win also came as a redemption for India, easing the hurt caused by their loss to Australia in the 2023 World Cup final. India has now won 22 out of their last 23 ICC games under Sharma’s leadership, affirming their position as the world number one white-ball team.
During the post-match press conference, Sharma spoke about retirement speculations, saying he has no intention of retiring from the 50-over format. He highlighted the team’s overall performance rather than individual achievements, and he was content with their recent victories.
