DUBAI: India secured their third ICC Champions Trophy title after defeating New Zealand by four wickets in a thrilling final at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday.
The victory saw India, who played all their matches in Dubai, maintain their unbeaten run at the venue.
Led by captain Rohit Sharma, India showcased their dominance with both bat and ball to outclass the Black Caps and lift yet another ICC trophy.
Chasing a competitive target of 252, India got off to a strong start as openers Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill laid a solid foundation with a 105-run stand in 18.3 overs.
Gill departed after scoring 31 off 50 balls, while Virat Kohli followed soon after, managing only one run off two deliveries.
Rohit continued to anchor the innings, scoring a match-winning 76 off 83 balls before being dismissed on the first delivery of the 26th over.
With India at 122/3, the responsibility fell on Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel to stabilise the innings.
The pair added a crucial 61-run partnership before Iyer fell just two runs short of his half-century, scoring 48 off 62 balls.
Axar Patel contributed 29 off 40 balls before his dismissal, leaving India requiring 49 runs to win.
Hardik Pandya (18 off 18) and KL Rahul (34* off 41) ensured there were no late collapses, with Rahul staying unbeaten to see India home in the penultimate over.
Rohit Sharma has been accredited as the Player of the Match for his brilliant knock of 76 (83).
New Zealand’s batting
Earlier, New Zealand posted a fighting total of 251/7 after being put in to bat by India. Openers Will Young and Rachin Ravindra provided a steady start before India’s spinners struck.
Varun Chakravarthy removed Young for 15 off 23, while Ravindra played a brisk knock of 37 off 29 balls before being dismissed.
New Zealand captain Kane Williamson’s short stay at the crease ended at 11 runs, courtesy of Kuldeep Yadav, while Tom Latham managed 14 off 30 balls.
With the Black Caps struggling at 108/4, Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips stitched together a crucial 57-run partnership.
Mitchell top-scored for New Zealand with a composed 63 off 101 balls, while Phillips contributed 34 off 52. Michael Bracewell’s unbeaten 53 in the latter stages of the innings helped New Zealand cross the 250-run mark.
For India, spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy were the standout performers, picking up two wickets each. Mohammed Shami and Ravindra Jadeja chipped in with one wicket apiece.
India’s path to the final saw them defeat Australia in the semi-finals by four wickets, while New Zealand booked their place in the title clash by overcoming South Africa in Lahore.
With this victory, India added a third ICC Champions Trophy to their cabinet, having previously won in 2002 (shared with Sri Lanka) and 2013 (defeating England).
This triumph also erased memories of their heavy 180-run loss to Pakistan in the 2017 final.
New Zealand, who defeated India in the 2000 Champions Trophy final, fell short this time despite a determined effort.
Notably, this final marked India’s 15th consecutive loss at the toss in One Day Internationals.
India Playing XI
Rohit Sharma(c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul(w), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy.
New Zealand Playing XI
Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham(w), Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner(c), Kyle Jamieson, William ORourke, Nathan Smith.
