India secured their third ICC Champions Trophy title with a four-wicket victory over New Zealand in the final held in Dubai on Sunday. A swift half-century from captain Rohit Sharma, a composed knock by Shreyas Iyer, and stellar performances from spinners Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav guided India to a well-rounded triumph.
This marks India’s third title in the prestigious tournament, having shared the trophy with Sri Lanka in 2002 and winning it under MS Dhoni’s leadership in 2013.
Chasing a target of 252 runs, India got off to a strong start with Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill. Rohit played the aggressor, taking on the New Zealand pacers, smashing 14 runs off Nathan Smith in the eighth over. India reached the 50-run mark in just 7.2 overs, and at the end of the powerplay, the score stood at 64/0.
Rohit reached his half-century in 41 balls, hitting five fours and three sixes. The opening partnership of 105 runs was broken when Gill fell for 31 off 50 balls, caught brilliantly by Glenn Phillips off Mitchell Santner’s bowling.
India then suffered quick setbacks with Michael Bracewell dismissing Virat Kohli for just one and Rachin Ravindra removing Rohit for a well-made 76 off 83 balls. At 122/3 in 26.1 overs, India needed stability.
Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel provided a steadying partnership, with Iyer contributing a crucial 48 off 62 balls before falling to Santner. India reached 200 in the 41st over but soon lost Axar Patel for 29. Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul kept India in the hunt with smart strike rotation and timely boundaries.
Needing 32 runs in the final five overs, India lost Hardik for 18 but Ravindra Jadeja sealed the win with a boundary, taking India home with six balls to spare.
Earlier, India’s spinners dominated the New Zealand innings, restricting them to 251/7. Despite a late counter-attack from Michael Bracewell (53* off 40 balls), the Blackcaps struggled against India’s disciplined bowling. Varun Chakravarthy (2/45) and Kuldeep Yadav (2/40) led the attack, supported by Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel’s economical spells.
Daryl Mitchell’s 63 off 101 balls provided some resistance, but regular wickets kept New Zealand from building momentum. Kane Williamson, who starred in the semi-final, fell cheaply to a brilliant caught-and-bowled by Kuldeep, and New Zealand’s innings never quite recovered.
India’s all-round performance ensured they chased down the target with composure, adding yet another ICC trophy to their illustrious cabinet.