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Skipper Rohit Sharma struck form at the right moment to inspire India to a glorious victory in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 cricket tournament. The fact that India could win this major competition without the services of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, illustrated how much depth and strength Indian cricket has right now.
India’s domination of world cricket seems to be limitless. New Zealand’s Rachin Ravindra won the Player of the Tournament award, but ironically he too is an Indian. There is a sense of focus, determination and courage in the heart of every Indian cricketer at present.
Now, the task before India is to learn lessons from this victory and rise further to reach a level of invincibility. One of the things that Virat Kohli said after the match was: “We now have a squad that can dominate the rest of the world for the next eight years.” So this level of excellence must be maintained. With hard work and unity of purpose, it can be done and must be done.
But before the event began, there were serious doubts about India’s leader. Had Rohit lost his skills for good? What effect could he have on the team’s morale and his own confidence? What many had forgotten was that Rohit is one of the best players in the white ball format. In the final against New Zealand, India needed the captain to step up once again onto the big stage and he did so in style.
Rohit played responsibly
Rohit started aggressively, but when Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli were out, he realised he needed to stay in the middle and consolidate India’s position. When he was finally out for 76, India had reached the halfway mark. The game had been set up, and it was the captain’s innings which eventually turned into a match-winning one.
Earlier, New Zealand won the toss and decided to bat first. Rachin Ravindra gave them a flying start. But when Ravindra was deceived by a googly from Kuldeep Yadav, the momentum slowed down. Rohit’s decision to introduce Yadav at this crucial juncture was the key that engineered the breakthrough.
The turning point
After Kane Williamson and Tom Latham got out cheaply, the New Zealanders completely lost steam. That was the point when the match turned decisively in India’s favour. As wickets fell at regular intervals, the early gains were lost and finally the team compiled a modest 251. The total was not good enough to stop a team like India. The score may have been even less if all the catches had been taken.
A masterstroke
In hindsight, the decision to rely mainly on spin, turned out to be a masterstroke. Varun Chakravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja were given their full quota of 10 overs and they destroyed the Black Caps. The Indian spinners picked up a total of 26 wickets during this tournament and it showed that the pitch conditions were perfect for them.
Credit should also be given to Shreyas Iyer and K.L.Rahul who steadied the Indian innings at a crucial juncture. Shreyas Iyer faced tremendous pressure as soon as he reached the middle. Mitchell Santner and Michael Bracewell were on top of their game. Had India caved in, the match would have turned in the other direction. But Iyer and Rahul played with great maturity and dedication.
Needless controversy
Finally, there was a needless controversy which should have been avoided. When the prizes were being given away, there was not a single official from the Pakistan Cricket Board on the stage. Pakistan being the host of the event, it would have been fitting to have the presence of the Chairman of the PCB, Mohsin Naqvi.
Not only was the Chairman missing, there was no official from the PCB at all. Was it because they had anticipated that India would win and therefore decided to stay away from the function? One hopes that such was not the case, but it cannot be ruled out.
Pakistan’s legendary fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar blasted the PCB for taking this unusual step. He stated: “India has won the Champions Trophy but the odd thing was that there was no one from the PCB during the presentation ceremony. It is beyond me. The tournament was hosted by us, but we were not there at the end. Feeling very down to see that.”
If the game has to go forward and rise further, then the governing boards of both India and Pakistan must forget politics and regional squabbles and show a spirit of genuine sportsmanship. For the sake of cricket in the world and in the subcontinent, that is an essential factor.
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