India clinches ICC Champions Trophy Title for 3rd time with victory over New Zealand
Dubai ,
Team India etched their name in history, lifting the ICC Champions Trophy for a record third time after a commanding victory over New Zealand by four wickets in the grand finale at Dubai.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, the Dubai International Cricket Stadium transformed into a sea of blue, with roaring Indian fans illuminating the night. Under the dazzling floodlights, the Men in Blue delivered a performance worthy of champions. The atmosphere reached feverish pitch as Ravindra Jadeja struck the winning shot, sending the crowd into a frenzy of jubilation. Rahul remained unbeaten on 34 runs while Jadeja made a crucial contribution of 9 runs at the toe end of the innings. India had previously won the tournament in 2002 and 2013.
Chasing a target of 252 runs in the summit clash, India achieved it with an over to spare. India began their chase aggressively, but New Zealand struck back with disciplined bowling. The pitch remained on the slower side, with the ball gripping and stopping, making stroke play challenging. Skipper Rohit Sharma was declared Player of the Match, and New Zealand player Rachin Ravindra was declared Player of the Series.
The opening pair of Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill provided a blistering start, stitching together a 105-run partnership for the first wicket. Rohit registered his first fifty of the championship but was eventually stumped for 76. The duo of Axar Patel and Shreyas Iyer offered resistance after a few tight overs in between. Iyer eventually got out for 48 runs while Axar contributed with a cameo of 29 runs. Hardik Pandya also contributed with a quickfire 18 before getting out. After that, it was merely a formality as India wrapped up the match in no time, securing a memorable victory.
Earlier, opting to bat in spin-friendly conditions, New Zealand managed to score 251 for 7 in their allotted 50 overs. For New Zealand, Daryl Mitchell steadied the innings with a crucial 63-run knock. For India, Varun Chakaravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav claimed two wickets each.
