India clinched back-to-back global cricket titles with a thrilling four-wicket victory over New Zealand in the ICC Champions Trophy final in Dubai. Chasing a target of 252, India reached 254-6 in 49 overs, with Rohit Sharma leading the charge with a composed 76 off 83 balls. KL Rahul remained unbeaten on 34, guiding India to victory and securing their third Champions Trophy title.
Earlier, New Zealand, after winning the toss and opting to bat first, posted 251-7 in 50 overs on a challenging, two-paced Dubai wicket. Daryl Mitchell and Michael Bracewell both scored half-centuries to anchor their team’s innings.
Sharma’s explosive start, which included seven fours and three sixes, laid the foundation for the chase. Hardik Pandya contributed with a crucial 18, adding 38 runs off 36 balls for the sixth wicket alongside Rahul.
In the post-match press conference, Sharma addressed retirement rumors, especially after he and Virat Kohli had announced their retirement from T20 internationals following last year’s T20 World Cup win. When asked about his future in ODIs, the 37-year-old captain clarified, “I’m not going to retire from this format, just to make sure no rumors are spread moving forward.” This suggests Sharma is set to continue leading India, potentially through to the 2027 Cricket World Cup.
This win marks India’s 23rd victory in 24 matches across the last three ICC men’s events, with their only loss coming against Australia in the 2023 World Cup final. India had previously won the Champions Trophy in 2013, and were runners-up in 2017, losing to Pakistan. The 2002 tournament was shared with Sri Lanka after a rain-affected final.
New Zealand’s only limited-overs ICC trophy remains their 2000 Champions Trophy (then known as the ICC Knockout), which they won by defeating India in the final in Nairobi.
All of India’s matches in this Champions Trophy were held in Dubai, after the Indian government denied permission for the team to travel to Pakistan due to security concerns.
India went unbeaten throughout the tournament, defeating Bangladesh, Pakistan, and New Zealand in the group stage before overcoming Australia in the semifinal. New Zealand, after victories over Pakistan in Karachi and Bangladesh in Rawalpindi, traveled to Dubai to face India in the final. The Blackcaps then returned to Pakistan to defeat South Africa in the second semifinal in Lahore.
