India and New Zealand faced off in the Champions Trophy 2025 final on Sunday, March 9, at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Indian captain Rohit Sharma lost the toss for the 12th time in a row, and New Zealand chose to bat first.
New Zealand’s Innings
New Zealand put up a total of 251/7 in their 50 overs. Daryl Mitchell was the top scorer with 63 runs from 101 balls, while Michael Bracewell played a quick unbeaten knock of 53 runs off 40 balls to give the innings a strong finish.
India’s bowlers put up a solid performance, with spinners Varun Chakaravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav taking two wickets each. Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Shami picked up one wicket each.
India’s Chase
India started aggressively with Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill putting together a 101-run opening partnership. However, the team lost three quick wickets by the 27th over, slowing the momentum. The middle-order trio of Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, and KL Rahul took charge to steady the chase.
With India needing just a few runs, Ravindra Jadeja sealed the win by hitting a boundary in the second-last over. India became the first team to win the Champions Trophy three times.
Award Winners
Here is the list of key award winners from the final:
Rohit Sharma – Player of the Match
Rohit played a crucial role in India’s win, scoring 76 runs off 83 balls, including seven fours and three sixes. His 105-run opening stand with Shubman Gill set the foundation for the chase.
This was Rohit’s 25th Player of the Match award in ODIs. He also became only the fourth captain to win the award in an ICC final, joining Clive Lloyd, Ricky Ponting, and MS Dhoni. With this win, he became the second Indian captain after Dhoni to win multiple ICC trophies.
Rachin Ravindra – Player of the Tournament & Golden Bat
Rachin Ravindra was the top scorer of the tournament with 263 runs in four matches at an average of 65.75 and a strike rate of 106.47. He scored two centuries and hit the most boundaries (29) in the tournament.
Despite scoring 37 off 29 balls in the final, his overall performance earned him both the Player of the Tournament and Golden Bat awards.
Matt Henry – Golden Ball
The Golden Ball award is given to the tournament’s top wicket-taker. New Zealand’s Matt Henry claimed this honor after picking up 10 wickets in four matches at an average of 16.70. Though he missed the final, his consistent performances played a big role in New Zealand’s campaign.
India’s victory in the Champions Trophy 2025 was a historic moment, as they became the first team to win the title three times. With standout performances from Rohit Sharma and a strong all-round effort, the Men in Blue lifted yet another ICC trophy.
