India's Depth and Quality Secure Champions Trophy Title in Low-Scoring Thriller
DUBAI – India cemented their dominance in white-ball cricket, clinching the Champions Trophy 2025 title with a four-wicket victory over a resilient New Zealand in a surprisingly low-scoring final. While the match lacked the explosive fireworks some might have expected, it was a tense, tactical battle that showcased India's depth and ability to adapt to challenging conditions. The win in the final, ended the team to be unbeaten in the tournament.
Pic courtsey: NDTV
Having won a crucial toss on a wearing Dubai pitch, New Zealand chose to bat first, hoping to put a challenging total on the board. They got off to a flyer, reaching 69/1 in the powerplay, but India's world-class spinners soon applied the brakes. Despite the pitch offering less turn than in previous matches, the Indian spin quartet – Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel and Varun Chakravarthy – bowled with superb control, conceding just 144 runs and taking five wickets in their combined 38 overs.
Daryl Mitchell top-scored for New Zealand with 63, and a late flurry from Michael Bracewell (53 off 40 balls) gave the Black Caps a glimmer of hope, pushing their total to 251/7. The slow pitch was evident as, Kane Williamson scored his slowest fifty.
India's chase mirrored New Zealand's innings in many ways. A brisk start, with Rohit Sharma (76) and Shubman Gill adding 105 for the first wicket, was followed by a period of tighter bowling from the Kiwi spinners. New Zealand, lacking the mystery spin of a Varun Chakravarthy or the left-arm wrist spin of a Kuldeep Yadav, still managed to exert significant pressure, with their spinners bowling 35 overs and taking five wickets for 152 runs. The average turn increased from 2 degrees in the first innings to 3.4 in the second, making scoring increasingly difficult.
While every Indian batsman except Virat Kohli got a start, no one could quite finish the job. Scores ranging from Rohit's 76 to Hardik Pandya's run-a-ball 18 highlighted the challenging nature of the chase. However, India's incredible batting depth, a hallmark of their recent success, ultimately proved to be the difference. KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja, under immense pressure, guided the team home with just one over to spare.
The victory marks India's second consecutive major ICC tournament triumph, adding the Champions Trophy to their recent successes. It also underlines their remarkable consistency, with 22 wins in their last 23 completed matches across the last three ICC tournaments. While they've tasted defeat in two finals during this period, their overall record is a testament to their strength and adaptability. New Zealand, despite a valiant effort, were ultimately outmatched by India's superior resources and ability to perform under pressure.
