India crowned as the champions of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025

After 12 long years, Team India won the ICC Champions Trophy as they edged past New Zealand in a high-octane thriller. As the decibels soared in Dubai, it was Ravindra Jadeja who delivered the coup de grace to seize the moment for the Men in Blue in an ecstatic moment of triumph.

Winning the toss, New Zealand opted to bat first in the summit clash, hoping to put India under the pump on a surface which has shown traces of being a tricky one to brave in the second half. Will Young (15) and Rachin Ravindra (37) did get the wheels rolling for the Kiwis as they totted up 57 runs for the opening stand.

The spin duo of Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav combined together to provide a double breakthrough for Team India as the openers were removed. Yadav pressed harder on the gears as he clinched the big scalp of Kane Williamson for just 11 while Ravindra Jadeja removed Tom Latham (14) to leave the Blackcaps spiralling.

Reduced to 108/4, New Zealand started rebuilding the innings with Glenn Phillips (34) and Daryl Mitchell (63) putting the foundation in place. Adding 57 runs for the fifth wicket, the duo offered a glimmer of hope to New Zealand despite the Indian bowlers keeping the screws tight at one end, barely allowing the boundaries to leak.

Varun Chakravarthy came in with a peach to get the better of Glenn Phillips as New Zealand felt the need to score at a quicker rate with just 12 overs remaining from thereon. An incoming Michael Bracewell delivered the much-needed catalyst in the end to propel the Kiwis to 251/7. Varun and Kuldeep Yadav claimed two wickets each while Mohammed Shami and Ravindra Jadeja chipped in with a wicket apiece to leave New Zealand in check.

With 252 needed to lift the ICC Champions Trophy crown, the Indian captain started proceedings in the fifth gear itself. From whacking Kyle Jamieson over the square leg fence for a maximum, Rohit Sharma put the wheels in motion. Sharma combined well with Shubman Gill who looked in great touch to help India to a 105-run stand for the opening partnership.

A stunner from Glenn Phillips got the better of Shubman Gill (31) and much to India’s shock, Virat Kohli (1) was caught stranded in front of the stumps as Michael Bracewell managed to skid one off the surface, getting the better of his former RCB teammate. New Zealand pressed the pedal harder as Rohit Sharma (76) fell in short succession too, with India wobbling at 122/3 from 105/0.

With the fears of a landslide creeping in, India needed hope desperately and it came from their crisis man, Shreyas Iyer. The middle-order stalwart who was in stunning touch throughout the tournament, once again offered a massive stand of resistance in the middle alongside a fighting Axar Patel. Iyer (48) fell agonizingly short of his half-century but ensured that he had offered India enough room to push hard for the finish line.

Patel’s 29 proved to be a handy cameo as well but when he fell, India still needed 49 runs to win. KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya ensured that there were no further reasons for the Indians to worry as the duo motored along, adding 38 runs for the sixth wicket, propelling the Men in Blue to the very gates of victory. Rahul looked solid for his unbeaten 34 while Ravindra Jadeja sealed history with a boundary in the penultimate over.