India Clinches ICC Champions Trophy After 12 Years with 4-Wicket Victory Over New Zealand

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): India has triumphed in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, defeating New Zealand by 4 wickets in the final. The high-octane match, played in Dubai, saw New Zealand set a target of 252 runs for India to chase. India achieved the target in just 49 overs, with Rohit Sharma leading from the front with a captain's knock of 76 runs. This victory marks India's third consecutive appearance in the Champions Trophy final. In the 2013 final, India claimed the trophy after defeating England. However, in the 2017 final, the team faced a setback when Pakistan emerged victorious. The 2025 final against New Zealand was a thrilling contest between two powerhouses of international cricket. Although India had previously defeated New Zealand in the league stage, the high-pressure environment of a final made this contest unpredictable. Both teams gave their all, but India’s strong performance with the bat and ball secured their win.

Head-to-Head in ODIs: In their ODI encounters, India and New Zealand have had an intense rivalry. Out of 119 matches played, India has won 61, while New Zealand has claimed 50 victories. Seven matches ended with no result, and one match ended in a tie.

India’s Playing XI:

- Rohit Sharma (captain)

- Shubman Gill

- Virat Kohli

- Shreyas Iyer

- Axar Patel

- KL Rahul (wicketkeeper)

- Hardik Pandya

- Ravindra Jadeja

- Mohammed Shami

- Kuldeep Yadav

- Varun Chakraborty

New Zealand’s Playing XI:

- Will Young

- Rachin Ravindra

- Kane Williamson

- Daryl Mitchell

- Tom Latham (wicketkeeper)

- Glenn Phillips

- Michael Bracewell

- Mitchell Santner (captain)

- Kyle Jamieson

- William Oruk

- Nathan Smith

India's victory in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy adds another prestigious achievement to their cricketing legacy. Rohit Sharma won the Man of the match and Rachin Ravindra of New Zealand was given the Player of the Tournament Award.