Team India ends 12-year long ICC ODI title drought after winning third Champions Trophy

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India triumphed over New Zealand by four wickets to win the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, ending their 12-year wait for an ODI title. Rohit Sharma led the chase with a composed 76, supported by crucial contributions from Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel. India’s spinners played a key role, restricting New Zealand to 251/7.

NEW DELHI: India continued their dominant run in ICC tournaments, defeating New Zealand by four wickets to win the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday. With this victory, India ended their long wait for an ICC ODI title, their first since the 2013 Champions Trophy triumph under MS Dhoni.

This marks India’s third Champions Trophy title, making them the most successful team in the tournament’s history, having previously won in 2002 and 2013. The win follows India’s T20 World Cup victory in 2024, underlining their resurgence in global cricket.

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India also avenged their defeat to New Zealand in the 2000 Champions Trophy final, which remains the Kiwis’ only ICC limited-overs title.

The latest triumph adds another feather to India’s ICC trophy cabinet, which now boasts two ODI World Cups, two T20 World Cups, and three Champions Trophy titles, reaffirming their status as one of the world’s most successful cricketing nations.

Rohit Sharma leads from the front

Chasing 252, India reached the target with an over to spare, as all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja hit the winning boundary off William O’Rourke in the penultimate over. Captain Rohit Sharma led the chase with a composed 76 off 83 balls, forging a 105-run opening stand with Shubman Gill (31 off 50).

New Zealand fought back with their spinners, as Mitchell Santner (2/46), Michael Bracewell (2/28), and Rachin Ravindra (1/47) applied pressure with timely wickets. However, Shreyas Iyer (48 off 62) and Axar Patel (29 off 40) steadied India’s innings after a brief collapse. KL Rahul (34 not out) and Hardik Pandya (18) then played vital cameos to guide India over the line.

New Zealand’s fight with the bat

Earlier, Daryl Mitchell and Michael Bracewell struck crucial half-centuries to propel New Zealand to a competitive total of 251/7.

Opting to bat first, the Kiwis started well, with Rachin Ravindra (37 off 29) and Will Young (15 off 23) adding 57 runs for the first wicket. However, India’s spinners wrested control, as Varun Chakaravarthy (2/45) and Kuldeep Yadav (2/40) dismantled the middle order.

Kuldeep struck immediately, dismissing Ravindra and later removing Kane Williamson (11). Varun provided the early breakthrough by trapping Young LBW before sending back Glenn Phillips (34). At 165/5 in the 38th over, New Zealand was in trouble. Mitchell’s patient 63 off 101 balls and Bracewell’s counter-attacking 53 not out off 40 helped their team recover. Their 46-run stand for the sixth wicket added stability, with Bracewell’s late blitz of two sixes and three fours pushing the total past 250.

A long wait ends for India, another begins for New Zealand

While India celebrated an end to their 12-year wait for an ODI trophy, New Zealand’s search for an elusive ODI title continues. Their last ICC final triumph came in the 2021 World Test Championship.

With this latest triumph, India’s dominance in world cricket is firmly re-established. Having won two ICC titles in under a year, they now set their sights on defending their T20 World Cup crown in 2026 and adding to their rich legacy.

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