India secured the Champions Trophy title with a four-wicket victory over New Zealand in a tense final on Sunday, capping off an unbeaten campaign in the elite 50-overs tournament, Retuers reported. Skipper Rohit Sharma led from the front with a blistering 76, while KL Rahul held his nerve in the dying overs, scoring an unbeaten 34 to guide India past New Zealand's tricky target of 252 with an over to spare.
New Zealand fought valiantly in defence of their modest total of 251-7, with Michael Bracewell delivering an all-round performance to remember. However, the reigning T20 world champions proved too strong, securing their second successive global title.
"It's been amazing," said India batter Virat Kohli after the hard-fought win. "We wanted to bounce back after a tough tour of Australia. We wanted to win a big tournament, and that's what we've ended up doing."
New Zealand's innings was anchored by Daryl Mitchell (63) and Bracewell (53*), but their total could have been lower if not for India's sloppy fielding, which saw four dropped catches. Rachin Ravindra (37) had luck on his side, surviving two spilled chances—one by Mohammed Shami and another by Shreyas Iyer—before his stumps were rattled by Kuldeep Yadav's first delivery.
India’s spinners dominated the middle overs, with Varun Chakravarthy removing Will Young (15) and Kane Williamson (17) in quick succession. Glenn Phillips (34) was another key scalp for Chakravarthy, while Mitchell fell to Shami just when he was poised for a late assault. The spin quartet bowled 38 overs, conceding only 144 runs while claiming five crucial wickets.
New Zealand's task became steeper after pace spearhead Matt Henry suffered a shoulder injury. Rohit Sharma wasted no time exploiting the weakened attack, leading India’s powerplay charge. Alongside Shubman Gill (31), he forged the tournament’s first century opening stand before Glenn Phillips dismissed Gill with a stunning one-handed catch. Bracewell struck with his first delivery to remove Kohli, tightening the contest further.
As boundaries dried up, Rohit attempted to accelerate against Ravindra but was stumped, injecting fresh drama into the chase. Iyer (48) and Axar Patel (29) steadied the innings, but New Zealand kept chipping away with timely breakthroughs. Amidst the mounting tension, Rahul played with remarkable composure, steering India towards the target before Ravindra Jadeja sealed the win with a boundary.
"Obviously, it is bittersweet," said player of the tournament Rachin Ravindra. "It was a great final; we played some great cricket in the lead-up... Individual accolades are great, but the build-up to the tournament and playing for a great team was very enjoyable."
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