India clinched the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 by defeating New Zealand in the final, marking another significant achievement in their cricketing journey. Following the victory, veteran batter Virat Kohli expressed his delight, emphasizing that the team’s unity played a crucial role in their success. Throughout the tournament, India showcased exceptional team performances, with different players stepping up in each game to contribute to the winning run. The Men in Blue secured five consecutive victories, demonstrating resilience and depth in their squad, ultimately leading them to another ICC title.
The final match saw captain Rohit Sharma leading from the front with a commanding performance. While Rohit set the tone at the top of the order, Shreyas Iyer played a pivotal role in stabilizing the innings during the challenging middle overs, scoring a crucial 48. The match-winning finishing touch was provided by KL Rahul, who guided India to victory with an over to spare, chasing down New Zealand’s total of 251.
In the semi-final, it was Kohli’s brilliance with the bat and Mohammed Shami’s skillful bowling that played a defining role in India’s triumph. Kohli, in particular, had a phenomenal tournament, scoring a magnificent unbeaten century against Pakistan and a crucial 84 off 98 balls against Australia, helping India secure a place in the final.
“I think to win titles, which has been missing in the past, the whole team must step up in different games. If you look at this tournament, over the course of five matches, everyone has put their hand up somewhere or another,” Kohli stated after India’s memorable Final win against New Zealand as quoted by ICC.
“These are the things, after playing for so long, you look forward to. Being in situations where you are put under pressure, and you walk in, and you put your hand up.”
One of the standout stories of the Champions Trophy was India’s decision to bring in spinner Varun Chakaravarthy midway through the campaign. His impact was immediate, as he took an impressive 5/42 against New Zealand in the group stage during his very first appearance in the tournament. His influence continued in the knockout stages, where he emerged as a key figure in India’s spin attack, finishing with nine wickets in just three games. Alongside him, Kuldeep Yadav also played a vital role, taking two wickets in the final, while Ravindra Jadeja displayed remarkable accuracy and control, delivering an economical spell of 1/30 in his 10 overs.
“That is why we ended up winning this tournament. People have made such impactful knocks and produced such impactful spells, and it is only a collective effort that can win you a title. I am just so happy we were able to play as a unit and really enjoy ourselves. We have had such an amazing time as a team. It has been an amazing tournament for us,” Kohli continued.
This victory marks back-to-back ICC titles for India, following their triumph in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup last year. With such dominant performances across formats, India has firmly established itself as a formidable force in international cricket. Their recent success sets the stage for them to be the team to beat in the upcoming ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2028, which will be held in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia.
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