India captain Rohit Sharma expressed his gratitude and described the victory as “very satisfying” after leading his team to a historic third ICC Champions Trophy title. India secured their place in the record books with a commanding four-wicket win over New Zealand in the final held in Dubai on Sunday.
This triumph makes India the first team to win the ICC Champions Trophy three times, reaffirming their dominance in global white-ball cricket.
“I appreciate everyone who came to support us. The crowd has been amazing. Not our home ground, but they made it our home ground. Very satisfying win,” Rohit Sharma said during the post-match presentation.
Rohit credited India’s spinners for their crucial role in the victory and praised their ability to perform under pressure. He highlighted the impact of mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy, whose vital breakthroughs turned the game in India’s favor.
“Right from the beginning, our spinners… there is too much expectation, but they never disappointed. It helped them, and we used that to our advantage. We were very consistent with our bowling,” he added.
“[Varun] has something different about him. When you are playing on such a pitch, you want to have something like him. He didn’t start but played later and got wickets. Luckily for us, it came to use,” the skipper remarked.
Rohit also praised KL Rahul for his composure in high-pressure situations and his role in finishing the chase.
“[KL] has a very solid mind, never gets overawed by the pressure around him. He finished off the game for us. He picks the right shot to play in pressure situations, which allows the rest of the batters to play freely. For example, Hardik,” he said.
Rohit Sharma himself played a pivotal role in the final, scoring a match-winning 76 that earned him the Player of the Match award. Strong contributions from Shreyas Iyer and standout performances from spinners Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav helped India dominate the contest and clinch the trophy.
Concluding his speech, Rohit reiterated his appreciation for the fans, emphasizing how their support motivates the team.
“Very grateful for the fans. We really appreciate their support. It may not be seen as useful, but when they come out, it makes a difference,” he said.