 "India win Champions Trophy 2025: Rohit hails batting depth after India’s triumph — ‘Gives you the confidence’")
India captain Rohit Sharma hailed the depth in his team’s batting department following their four-wicket victory over New Zealand in the final of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy. Rohit produced a captain’s knock, smashing 76 off 83, while the middle-order comprising Shreyas Iyer (48) and KL Rahul (34 not out) came to the team’s rescue as the Men in Blue chased down the 252-run target set by New Zealand in the final in Dubai to win the tournament for a record third time.
Champions Trophy 2025: News | Results
“It is very nice. We played some good cricket though the tournament. To have the result our way is a great feeling,” Rohit said during the post-match presentation ceremony after being adjudged the Player of the Match.
“The depth gives me the freedom and it helps. With Jadeja coming at 8, it gives you the confidence to go hard up front,” he added.
Rohit’s knock had set the tone for India’s chase and gave the middle-order a solid cushion to rebuild in the second powerplay, and eventually take the team home.
‘Hitman’ heaps praise on Rahul and Chakravarthy
While Iyer negotiated the difficult middle overs along with Axar, doing an excellent job in handling New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner and Michael Bracewell, it was Rahul and his ice-cool approach that ensured the Men in Blue reached home even when things got a little tense in the death overs. Rahul had finished the game in the semi-final against Australia, and once again came to the party in the summit clash against New Zealand.
“Very solid mind, never gets over-rawed by the pressure around him, that’s the resason we wanted to have him in the middle phase, there’s a bit of calmness when he bats and picks the right shot to play to the situation, he gives the freedom to others to play freely like Hardik,” Rohit said.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsAlso playing a crucial role in India’s triumph in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy was mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy, who was included in the lineup for the Group A match against New Zealand after sitting out of the first two games, and made an instant impact by collecting a match-winning 5/42.
Making his maiden appearance in an ICC ODI event, Chakravarthy ended up finishing as India’s leading wicket-taker with 9 wickets at a superb average of 15.11.
“He has something different about him. When you are playing on such a pitch, you want to have something like him. He didn’t start but played later and got wickets. Luckily for us, it came to use,” Rohit added, heaping praise on the leg-spinner who had lost his place
Rohit explains his attacking approach
The 37-year-old had been getting a series of starts throughout the tournament, but wasn’t able to convert those into bigger scores. After scoring 41 off 36 against Bangladesh in India’s tournament opener, he was dismissed on 20, 15 and 28 against Pakistan, New Zealand and in the semi-final against Australia respectively.
Despite getting dismissed after positive starts, Rohit continued to back his approach, even in a game as crucial as the final. And on Sunday, his attacking approach paid off as he stitched together a 105-run opening stand with Shubman Gill that got the Men in Blue off to a dream start.
Rohit added that while the approach wasn’t natural to him, it was something that he “really wanted to do”. And ultimately, it was the execution that mattered for him.
“Not natural to me, but something I really wanted to do. When you are doing something different, you have to have the backing of the team and management. I spoke to Rahul (Dravid) bhai earlier and now Gauti bhai (Gautam Gambhir) as well. It is something I really wanted to do.
“I have played all these years in a different style, and now we are getting the results with this. We have to understand the nature of the surfaces and I was very clear about how I wanted to execute the first five-six overs. I have gotten out as well earlier, but the execution matters,” he added.
With their victory, India not only became the most successful team in Champions Trophy history by winning the tournament for a third time, Rohit also led the Men in Blue to back-to-back triumphs in ICC events. India had won the T20 World Cup in June last year after defeating South Africa in the final in Barbados.
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