Indian captain Rohit Sharma responded to any criticism thrown at him in recent days with a Player of the Match performance in India’s four-wicket victory over New Zealand in the 2025 Champions Trophy final at Dubai International Stadium on Sunday.

Rohit, watching from the balcony, was overjoyed when Ravindra Jadeja clipped Will O’Rourke past fine leg on the last delivery of the 49th over, propelling India past New Zealand’s 251 runs. Virat Kohli hugged Gautam Gambhir, who smiled with joy after his first important win as head coach. Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh were the first to reach the middle, and they, together with Jadeja, performed Gangnam steps.

Soon, Rohit and Kohli would be doing some dandiya movements. Sportspeople live for times like these. India will be ecstatic to have won two titles in a row following last year’s T20 World Cup victory.

India scored 64/0 in the first ten overs. New Zealand was 69/1 at the time. The majority of the runs came from Rohit’s blade, who scored fifty off forty balls in the eleventh over.

On the evidence of India’s bowling, batting against spin wasn’t going to be easy. But the lingering question was whether New Zealand had spinners of the same quality to do what India did to them in the group stage win? Skipper Mitchell Santner created an opening by dismissing Shubman Gill on 31 with a flighted delivery, but a lot of the credit, like is often the case with catches by Glenn Phillips, went to the flying Kiwi, who leapt at short cover and returned with a stunning one-handed grab. Michael Bracewell followed up by trapping Kohli leg before and India had lost two wickets for one runs to be 106/2.

With the pitch turning, it was up to Rohit to shift gears and bat like he used to do to get India into safe waters. Rohit did buckle down for a time, but he couldn’t pass up an opportunity to put pressure when Ravindra’s looping delivery was cut short. However, Rohit (76-83b, 7×4, 3×6) was defeated in the struggle to be stumped.

Shreyas Iyer has freed up Kohli throughout the tournament by getting off to a quick start. He began rebuilding with Axar Patel by taking cautious risks. He fell to Santner, scooping straight to short-fine leg, as he had done throughout the tournament.

But KL Rahul (34*-33b) anchored the chase in the final seconds.

New Zealand batters came out with the idea of not letting the Indian spinners settle. Many of them were determined to bring out the broom. But there was just so much skill among India’s spin quartet that once the surface began to grip, batters found them difficult to negotiate. If Kuldeep bowled slower in the air, Jadeja bowled faster and got the ball to skid off the surface.

Rohit saw an opportunity after Kuldeep’s twin breakthroughs – he removed Ravindra and Kane Williamson in his successive overs – early in the middle overs. He kept one of Kuldeep or Chakravarthy on from one end for most of the middle overs. India’s spin stranglehold meant there was no boundary for 14 overs, between overs 14-27. One man, Mitchell, stood between India rolling New Zealand over and them staying in the contest. Every now and then he would bring out the sweep, not necessarily to find elevation and boundary. Mitchell’s fifty came off 91 balls, slowest of his career, and in the tournament.

New Zealand scored 103/4 in the middle overs, which was a low total. It could’ve been worse. That’s how Mitchell managed his innings, allowing Glenn Philips to take a few more chances during their 57-run stand for fifth wicket.

They managed to post a decent total thanks to Michael Bracewell’s (53*-40b) cameo. NZ scored 51 runs in the final five overs. The scoreboard indicates that New Zealand ran India close. But given the depth of the Indian batting lineup, they were always on track.

“We needed to understand the characteristics of the surfaces, and I had a clear plan for the first five-six overs. I could have gotten out earlier, but execution is important. The depth provides me freedom and helps. With Jadeja at 8, you have the confidence to go hard up front. “As long as I am clear in my mind, it is great,” Rohit Sharma  said in the post-match presentation.

“It’s been amazing, we wanted to bounce back after a tough Australian tour, and wanted to win a big tournament, so to win the Champions Trophy is amazing. So much talent in the dressing room, they’re trying to take their game further and we’re just happy to be of help (role of the seniors), sharing our experience and that’s what makes this Indian team so strong,” Virat Kohli said after the match.

President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and others congratulated Team India on their victory in the ICC Champions Trophy final, where the Men in Blue, led by Rohit Sharma, defeated New Zealand by four wickets at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

In a post on X, President Murmu wrote: “Heartiest congratulations to Team India for winning the ICC Champions Trophy, 2025. India becomes the only team to win the Trophy thrice. The players, the management and the support staff deserve highest accolades for creating cricketing history. I wish Indian cricket a very bright future.”

Taking to X, PM Modi wrote, “An exceptional game and an exceptional result! Proud of our cricket team for bringing home the ICC Champions Trophy. They’ve played wonderfully through the tournament. Congratulations to our team for the splendid all around display.”

Amitabh Bachchan wrote on X, “And the wellwishers .. in somewhat limited numbers and enthu, because of the IND v NZ .. but still a joy as ever. Sat in one spot .. sat in the style of the required tashan … and the VICTORY !!”

“No more the insinuated ‘3rd World’ tag .. no more the ‘other’ World in superiority .. we are the pride , we are the promise , we are the ‘go to’ nation .. we are the prime .. Ravaged looted and ruled by invaders over hundreds of years .. BUT in 78 yrs , of our fighting INDEPENDENCE .. teaching a lesson to the rest.”

We rank high .. very high ..Good night .. And many congratulations to Team India for their Victory today”

Bollywood actor Anil Kapoor also took to his Instagram stories and shared, “What a match, what a win! Congratulations, Team India! What a phenomenal match – unbreakable spirit and a well-deserved victory! #Champions.”

Abhishek Bachchan also penned on X, “The trophy is coming home! A masterclass of skill, grit, and passion by Team India. On top of the world!”

Jr NTR’s post read, “Congratulations to Team India on a well-deserved and dominant Champions Trophy victory! Going undefeated all the way is no small feat.”