The contest had been intense but India completed the chase and went on to hold the trophy in their hands.
India won their third Champions Trophy by beating New Zealand by four wickets in the final on Sunday. The match was played at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. This was India’s first Champions Trophy title in 12 years.
New Zealand batted first and gave India a target of 252 runs. India began on a strong note, with skipper Rohit Sharma scoring a quick half-century. He scored 76 runs before he was dismissed. Then New Zealand attempted to revive their game. But crucial stands by Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel, then by KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya, ensured India remained in charge.
It was Ravindra Jadeja, in the second last over, who slammed the winning runs. The contest had been intense but India completed the chase and went on to hold the trophy in their hands.
Let’s take a look at how Indian players reacted after winning the Champions Trophy 2025.
The skipper, Rohit Sharma, had a huge impact in the Champions Trophy 2025. He accumulated 180 runs in five games, providing India with good starts with his brisk knocks. His vital 76 runs in the final contributed heavily to India’s victory. Since the 2023 Asia Cup, Rohit has been leading from the front with consistent displays.
During the post match press conference, Rohit said the team did not let outside criticism or pressure affect them. They stayed focused on winning and enjoying the game. He also shared how proud he is of the team’s consistency, reaching the finals of all four major tournaments. The Indian captain ended all rumours about his retirement, making it clear he is not going anywhere.
“The boys in the team have managed to put that aside and just focus on how to win games and how to enjoy the game. I’m really, really proud being the captain of this team…to play the finals of all four trophies was really good and shows how consistent we are as a team, he said
“One more thing, I’m not going to retire from this format, just to make sure no more rumours are going to get spread,” he further added.
Shubman Gill was an important player for India in the Champions Trophy 2025. He started the tournament with a match-winning century against Bangladesh. He also scored 46 runs against Pakistan and 31 runs in the final against New Zealand. In total, he made 188 runs in five matches.
After the final, Gill said he enjoyed batting with Rohit Sharma and their partnership was important for the team. He said it felt great to win the trophy, especially after losing in 2023. He also mentioned how special it was to win eight ODIs in a row leading up to this moment.
“Felt amazing. For the most part, I was sitting back and enjoying Rohit bhai’s batting but we kept talking to each other and the [opening] partnership was important for us. Definitely, very satisfying, we missed out on the last one that we played in 2023, and it’s a surreal feeling to be able to win this one, starting with the ODI series in England, winning eight ODIs back-to-back, amazing feeling,” said Gill.
Virat Kohli once again showed why he is such an important player for India in ICC tournaments. Even though he did not score much in the final, he played two match winning innings against Pakistan and Australia in the semi final. He finished the tournament with 218 runs in five matches and won the man of the match award twice.
After the final, Virat said it has been an amazing journey for the team. He mentioned that they wanted to bounce back after a tough tour of Australia. He praised the young players for stepping up and helping India move forward. Virat also said that after playing for so many years, he enjoys handling pressure in big games. He believes winning trophies is all about team effort, and this time different players made important contributions to make it happen.
“It’s been amazing, we wanted to bounce back after a tough Australia tour. Lovely playing with a bunch of amazing youngsters. They’re stepping up and taking India in the right direction. After playing for so long, you look forward to playing under pressure. To win titles, the whole team has to step up in different games. People have played such impactful knocks and had spells, that collective effort is what has done it for us,” Virat said.
Not many people talk about him, but Shreyas Iyer was the unsung hero of the Champions Trophy 2025. He finished as India’s highest run scorer with 243 runs in five matches and played important innings in almost every game. With two fifties and two scores over forty, he showed great consistency throughout the tournament.
After the final, Shreyas said he was feeling extremely happy and found it hard to describe his emotions. Winning his first ICC trophy made him feel overwhelmed. He praised the entire team for how they performed and improved during the tournament, calling it a magnificent effort.
“Feeling ecstatic, to be honest. It’s ineffable. And hard to say it in words, to be honest. It’s my first ICC trophy, and I’m kind of overwhelmed. Looking at each and everyone in the dressing room, the way we’ve turned up towards this tournament, and the way we’ve progressed, it was simply magnificent,” Shreyas said.
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KL Rahul had one of the best comebacks in this tournament. After being criticised for his slow innings in the 2023 World Cup final, he performed really well this time. Batting at number six, which is not his usual position, Rahul scored 140 runs in four innings. He stayed not out in three of those matches, finishing with an average of 140.
After the final, Rahul admitted he was very nervous towards the end of the match but stayed calm because he knew they still had more batters left. He said in big games, it is all about keeping your composure, even though it is not easy. Rahul was happy they crossed the line this time and mentioned that in three out of the five matches, he had to bat in pressure situations.
“I don’t think I can say this on camera, but I was s****ing myself at the end. But we still had a couple of batters to come, so I was confident that we could get over the line.
“But in moments like this and big games, it’s more about holding your composure, which we all know about. It’s not easy, but I’m happy to win this and happy to get over the line this time. I think I’ve batted in times like this in three out of the five games,” Rahul said.
India missed Hardik Pandya in the 2023 World Cup final because of injury, but since his return, he has played two ICC tournaments and India have won both. This shows how important he is to the team. In the Champions Trophy 2025, he scored 99 runs in four innings coming lower down the order and picked up four wickets. While his numbers may not seem big, his contributions came at key moments—whether taking a wicket when the team needed it or scoring runs under pressure during a chase.
After the final, Hardik said it always feels special to win an ICC trophy, especially the Champions Trophy. He remembered the 2017 final, where India lost, and shared how happy he was with the team’s performance this time. He also praised the way everyone contributed throughout the tournament.
“It’s always amazing to win an ICC event, and especially the Champions Trophy. I remember 2017 very closely to my heart. We could not finish the job that time. But very, very pleased with the way we have played throughout the tournament. And, at the same time, how everyone contributed. That was fantastic,” Hardik said.
Ravindra Jadeja was one of the key contributors for India in the Champions Trophy 2025. He took five wickets in five matches and also scored the winning runs in the final, helping India seal the title.
After the match, Jadeja said that because he usually bats lower down the order, he often ends up in situations where he is either seen as a hero or a failure depending on the result. He also mentioned how important this win was for India and that after playing for so many years, it would have been disappointing not to win a big tournament like this.
“My batting number is such that I’m either a hero or a zero [on finishing India’s matches often]. This means a lot to India. You’re a part of such a team, and there will be regrets if you’re not able to win tournaments after playing for so many years,” Jadeja said.
Varun Chakravarthy was a surprise inclusion in India’s Champions Trophy 2025 squad but turned out to be a game changer. He took nine wickets in three matches, including a five-wicket haul against New Zealand in the group stage. His key breakthroughs, like dismissing Travis Head in the semi-final and Kane Williamson in the final, proved crucial for India.
After the final, Varun said it felt like a dream come true. He added that bowling was tough on pitches with little spin, so he focused on staying accurate and disciplined.
“Yeah, so I was a sudden inclusion, and I didn’t expect it to turn out like this, and it’s a dream come true. Yeah, it was good, because [in] the first innings the spin was less, and we had to be very disciplined and stick to the stumps,” Chakravarthy said.
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