India Clinches Third ICC Champions Trophy Title With Four-Wicket Victory Over New Zealand

India’s cricket team secured their third ICC Champions Trophy title with a thrilling four-wicket victory over New Zealand in the final at Dubai on Sunday. Led by a quick-fire half-century from skipper Rohit Sharma and solid contributions from Shreyas Iyer, along with standout bowling performances from spinners Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav, India chased down New Zealand’s target of 252 runs in a nail-biting finish.

This victory adds to India’s list of ICC Champions Trophy wins, having previously lifted the title in 2002 (shared with Sri Lanka) and 2013 under MS Dhoni’s leadership.

Rohit Sharma Sets The Tone With Aggressive Batting

India’s chase began on a solid note, with captain Rohit Sharma leading from the front alongside opener Shubman Gill. Rohit took on the pacers, scoring a quick 14 runs off Nathan Smith’s eighth over, including two fours and a six. By the 7.2-over mark, India had reached 50 runs.

At the end of the 10-over powerplay, India was 64/0, with Rohit (49*) and Gill (10*) both unbeaten. Rohit, the aggressor, reached his half-century off 41 balls, hitting five fours and three sixes. He continued to find the boundary against New Zealand’s spinners as India brought up 100 runs in 17 overs.

Partnerships Break, But India Holds Steady

Mitchell Santner broke the 105-run partnership between Rohit and Gill by dismissing Gill for 31 off 50 balls, with Glenn Phillips taking a superb catch at cover. India was now 105/1 in the 18.4 overs.

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New Zealand continued to put pressure on India with the key wicket of Virat Kohli, who fell cheaply for just one run to Michael Bracewell, leaving India at 106/2 in 19.1 overs. Rohit, meanwhile, was dismissed for 76 runs off 83 balls by Rachin Ravindra, and India found themselves at 122/3 in 26.1 overs.

Shreyas Iyer And Axar Patel Push India Forward

Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel joined forces to steady the ship, with Iyer playing some crucial boundaries. India reached 150 in the 32.5-over mark. However, New Zealand fought back as Santner dismissed Iyer for 48 off 62 balls with a fantastic catch from Ravindra at short fine leg. India was 183/4 in 38.4 overs, needing 69 runs from 69 balls.

Hardik Pandya And KL Rahul Hold The Key

KL Rahul and Axar Patel helped India cross the 200-run mark in the 40.5-over mark. However, another breakthrough came as Axar Patel was dismissed for 29 off 40 balls by Bracewell, leaving India at 203/5 in 41.3 overs.

With 49 runs required from 50 balls, Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul remained calm, rotating the strike and hitting occasional boundaries. Kyle Jamieson dismissed Hardik for 18 while he was trying to pull the ball. Ravindra Jadeja then struck the winning boundary, sealing the victory for India.

New Zealand’s Struggles And Late Flourish

Earlier, India’s spinners dominated as they restricted New Zealand to a total of 251/7 in their 50 overs. Despite a strong start from openers Will Young and Rachin Ravindra, the Blackcaps struggled to accelerate in the middle overs due to disciplined Indian bowling.

After winning the toss, New Zealand’s openers got off to a solid start, reaching 50 runs inside the first seven overs. However, Varun Chakravarthy struck, dismissing Young for 15, and Kuldeep Yadav followed suit, removing Ravindra for 37 off 29 balls. India was on top at 69/2 in 10.1 overs.

Kane Williamson, who had been in great form, fell cheaply for 11 to a brilliant caught-and-bowled by Kuldeep, leaving New Zealand at 75/3 in the 12th over.

Spinners Keep The Pressure On New Zealand

India’s spinners, especially Varun Chakravarthy (2/45) and Kuldeep Yadav (2/40), maintained tight control throughout the innings. As New Zealand reached 100 runs in the 19.2 overs, they began to lose wickets at regular intervals. Ravindra Jadeja trapped Tom Latham for 14, and Chakravarthy bowled out Glenn Phillips for 34, leaving New Zealand at 165/5 in 37.5 overs.

Daryl Mitchell played a patient knock, scoring 63 off 101 balls, before Mohammed Shami dismissed him in the 46th over, leaving New Zealand at 211/6. Santner was run out for 8, further diminishing New Zealand’s hopes. However, Michael Bracewell’s unbeaten 53 off 40 balls, featuring three fours and two sixes, provided a late boost, helping New Zealand reach a competitive 251/7.

India’s Comprehensive Bowling Performance

India’s spinners were the key architects of their bowling performance, with Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav delivering tight spells, while Jadeja (1/30) and Axar Patel (0/29 in 8 overs) provided excellent support with their economical bowling.

Final Score:

• New Zealand: 251/7 (Daryl Mitchell 63, Michael Bracewell 53*; Kuldeep Yadav 2/40, Varun Chakravarthy 2/45)
• India: 254/6 (Rohit Sharma 76, Shreyas Iyer 48; Mitchell Santner 1/46, Michael Bracewell 1/39)

With this victory, India clinched their third ICC Champions Trophy title, adding another major achievement to their cricketing legacy.

PM Modi Congratulates Team India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to social media to congratulate the Indian cricket team for their historic win. “An exceptional game and an exceptional result! Proud of our cricket team for bringing home the ICC Champions Trophy. They’ve played wonderfully throughout the tournament. Congratulations to our team for the splendid all-around display.”