India clinch thriller vs New Zealand to win record 3rd Champions Trophy

Mangalore Today News Network

Dubai, March 10, 2025: India on Sunday ended a 12-year wait to clinch a record-extending third Champions Trophy title, beating New Zealand by 4 wickets in the CT 2025 final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

Chasing a tricky 252-run target after being forced to field first by Mitchell Santner, India got off to a flying start on the back of captain Rohit Sharma’s turbo-charged half-century. The skipper smashed his fifty of the tournament in 41 balls, waltzing his way to the mark with three sixes and a string of fours after India got to their fastest team fifty of the tournament in only 7.1 overs. After the dismissals of  Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma’s departure on 76 helped New Zealand claw back into the game before crucial stands from Shreyas Iyer-Axar Patel and KL Rahul-Hardik Pandya put India back ahead.

India eventually sealed the nervy chase with Ravindra Jadeja hitting the winning runs in the penultimate over off pacer Will O’Rourke.

India’s CT, white-ball dominance

The win helped India break the tie with Australia with a record third Champions Trophy title, adding onto the wins in 2002 (shared with Sri Lanka) and 2013. The win comes only eight months after Rohit led the Men in Blue to their second T20 World Cup title in Barbados, continuing a superb run in ICC white-ball events. Starting with the 2023 ODI World Cup, India have now played 23 matches in three successive ICC limited-overs events, bearing a solitary loss in the CWC final againt Australia.

The Champions Trophy victory is also India’s seventh ICC title win since Kapil Dev’s ‘Devils’ clinched the 1983 World Cup at Lord’s. The team have now won two CWCs, three CTs and two T20 World Cups, following Australia’s record 10 titles. Rohit also became only the second Indian skipper after MS Dhoni to win multiple ICC trophies.

India ICC titles victories

ODI – 1983 World Cup, 2011 World Cup, 2002 Champions Trophy, 2013 Champions Trophy, 2025 Champions Trophy

T20I – 2007 T20 World Cup, 2024 T20 World Cup