India’s skipper Rohit Sharma put an end to all speculation about his retirement after leading his team to a historic ICC Champions Trophy 2025 victory against New Zealand in Dubai on Sunday.
With this remarkable win, Rohit Sharma became only the second Indian captain after MS Dhoni to lead India to two ICC titles, having narrowly missed out on the ultimate prize in the 2023 ODI World Cup. He also holds the distinction of being the only captain in the world to lead his team to the finals of all ICC championships.
Leading from the front, Rohit played a match-winning knock of 76, earning him the Player of the Match award as India secured a four-wicket win to claim their third Champions Trophy title.
“Just to clarify, I am not retiring. Please do not spread any rumours,” he stated in the post-match press conference.
Speculation about Rohit’s retirement had been circulating for some time, with many wondering whether the stalwart captain would hang up his boots after this Champions Trophy triumph. However, his emphatic statement put those rumors to rest.
India etched their name in history by securing their third ICC Champions Trophy title with a commanding win over New Zealand in the final. With this victory, India became the first team to win the ICC Champions Trophy three times, further solidifying their dominance in global white-ball cricket.
As for the match, New Zealand won the toss and opted to bat first. The Kiwis got off to a decent start with a 57-run opening stand between Will Young (15) and Rachin Ravindra (37 off 29 balls, with four boundaries and a six). However, Kuldeep Yadav (2/40) applied the brakes and reduced New Zealand to 75/3.
A resilient 57-run partnership between Daryl Mitchell (63 off 101 balls, with three fours) and Michael Bracewell pushed New Zealand past the 150-run mark. Bracewell’s explosive 53* off 40 balls, featuring three fours and two sixes, took New Zealand to 251/7 in their 50 overs.
Kuldeep Yadav (2/40) and Varun Chakravarthy (2/45) were India’s top wicket-takers, while Mohammed Shami took one wicket but conceded 74 runs in his nine overs.
During the run chase, India got off to a strong start with a 105-run opening stand between skipper Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill (31 off 50 balls, with a six). Though India lost wickets in quick succession, including Gill, Virat Kohli, and Rohit (76 off 83 balls, with seven fours and three sixes), Shreyas Iyer (48 off 62 balls, with two fours and two sixes) and Axar Patel (29 off 40 balls, with a four and a six) steadied the innings with a crucial 61-run partnership.
After Axar’s departure post the 200-run mark, KL Rahul (34* off 33 balls, with a four and a six) and Hardik Pandya (18) guided India to victory with six wickets in hand and an over to spare.
Michael Bracewell (2/28) and Mitchell Santner (2/46) were the standout bowlers for New Zealand.
