With five consecutive wins, India remained unbeaten and created history as the first team to win the Champions Trophy three times.
The match edged toward its conclusion, building up to a dramatic finish. Ravindra Jadeja struck a boundary, and that was the moment of glory. He sprinted with arms raised towards his partner at the crease, KL Rahul. In the dressing room, Virat Kohli leaped from his chair and embraced batting coach Abhishek Nayar. Rohit Sharma, beaming with joy, strode onto the field. Even Gautam Gambhir, often seen as serious, cracked a rare smile—such is the sweetness of victory!
The final played out much like an expected script. The stands, packed with Indian supporters, turned into a sea of blue. Once again, India’s spinners stole the show. New Zealand put up a strong fight, refusing to back down easily with bat and ball. But in the end, they couldn’t match India’s depth and dominance.
As tournament favorites, India lived up to expectations, defeating New Zealand by four wickets to claim the Champions Trophy. With this victory, Rohit Sharma’s team sealed an undefeated campaign.
Eight years ago, India had finished as runners-up in England. Now, they made history by becoming the first team to win three Champions Trophy titles.
While the heartbreak of losing the 2023 ODI World Cup final at home may not fade, this triumph, along with their T20 World Cup victory last year, firmly established India’s supremacy in white-ball cricket.
For New Zealand, however, it was yet another case of falling short in a major knockout match.
A Flying Start and a Mid-Innings Collapse
Chasing the target, India got off to a flying start thanks to Rohit Sharma. On just the second ball of the innings, he dispatched Kyle Jamieson for a signature pull-shot six—setting the tone. Soon, the runs started flowing.
India raced past fifty in just 7.2 overs, the fastest in this tournament. Rohit brought up his half-century off 41 balls, while his partner, Shubman Gill, was still at 10. Their partnership became the first-ever century stand in a Champions Trophy final.
But after the drinks break, New Zealand turned the game on its head. The momentum shifted with an unbelievable catch from Glenn Phillips at short cover, dismissing Gill for 30.
Michael Bracewell then struck immediately, removing the in-form Virat Kohli for just 1. New Zealand’s spinners applied immense pressure on Rohit and Shreyas Iyer, making scoring difficult.
Frustrated, Rohit eventually lost patience and was stumped for 76 off 83 balls. India suddenly lost three wickets for just 17 runs, and the chase, which seemed effortless earlier, became a tense battle.
However, Iyer and Axar Patel steadied the innings before runs started flowing freely again. Just when it seemed India had regained control, Santner removed Iyer (48), and Axar (29) gifted his wicket with a reckless shot.
India’s deep batting lineup ensured there were no major worries. KL Rahul held one end firmly, supported by Hardik Pandya. Though Pandya (18) fell to a sharp Jamieson bouncer, the final run chase was completed smoothly by Rahul and Jadeja.
New Zealand’s Struggle Against India’s Spinners
New Zealand, like India, started well, cautiously scoring 10 runs in the first three overs. Then, Rachin Ravindra unleashed his strokes against Hardik Pandya and Mohammed Shami, guiding the team past fifty within seven overs.
But Varun Chakravarthy ended the opening stand at 57, trapping Will Young (15) LBW. Ravindra, who was given two lifelines at 28 and 29, couldn’t capitalize as Kuldeep Yadav bowled him for 37.
Kuldeep then removed captain Kane Williamson (11) in his next over, and New Zealand’s innings lost momentum. Tom Latham (14) fell while attempting his favorite sweep shot, reducing them to 108/4.
Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips tried to stabilize the innings. Mitchell focused on holding his end while Phillips looked to increase the scoring rate.
In the 27th over, Phillips finally ended an 81-ball boundary drought by smashing Kuldeep for a six. But he couldn’t carry on, falling to Varun’s clever variation for 34.
Mitchell too had an early reprieve when Rohit dropped him on 28. He fought his way to a gritty fifty off 91 balls, but boundaries remained scarce. After a 65-ball dry spell, Michael Bracewell finally found the fence.
Mitchell’s slow innings couldn’t deliver the late acceleration. He struck two boundaries in the 46th over but was dismissed for 63 off 101 balls.
Bracewell, however, took charge in the final overs, smashing 53 off 40 balls—his first ODI fifty, despite having a century to his name.
New Zealand managed 73 runs in the last eight overs, but their total still felt a bit short. That proved true in the end.
As the Indian players erupted in celebration, fireworks lit up the Dubai sky. Meanwhile, the New Zealand players, mirroring the dark shade of their jerseys, were left in disappointment once again.
Match Summary
- New Zealand: 251/7 in 50 overs
(Young 15, Ravindra 37, Williamson 11, Mitchell 63, Latham 14, Phillips 34, Bracewell 53*, Santner 8, Smith 0*; Shami 1/74, Pandya 0/30, Varun 2/45, Kuldeep 2/40, Axar 0/29, Jadeja 1/30) - India: 254/6 in 49 overs
(Rohit 76, Gill 30, Kohli 1, Iyer 48, Axar 29, Rahul 34*, Pandya 18, Jadeja 9*; Jamieson 1/24, O’Rourke 0/56, Smith 0/22, Santner 2/46, Ravindra 1/47, Bracewell 2/28, Phillips 0/–)
Result: India won by 4 wickets.
Player of the Match: Rohit Sharma
Player of the Tournament: Rachin Ravindra
