Unbeaten Team India Lift Champions Trophy After Tense 4-Wkt Win Vs NZ; Rohit Sharma Player Of The Final

Dubai: India flirted with danger before managing to hold their nerves and cross the line to lift the ICC Champions Trophy at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium here on Sunday night.

The image of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli indulging in dandiya with stumps after the tense 4-wicket win summed up the mood. It the fourth ICC champions’ Trophy for both Indian stalwarts.

Set a target of 252 by New Zealand, India got a rollicking start through Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill who put up 105 on the board – the first century opening partnership of the tournament. The captain was in blazing form, taking on the bowlers head-on like he loves doing to unsettle the opposition at the outset.

Two quick dismissals — Gill (31) and Virat Kohli (1) – set India back and the run-rate suddenly dropped as Kiwi spinners tightened the screws just like their Indian rivals had done. Even Rohit (76 off 83 balls, 7×4, 3×6) slowed down, and was ultimately stumped trying to give left-arm spinner Rachin Ravindra the charge.

The consistent Shreyas Iyer (48) and Axar Patel (29) stitched together a patient but crucial partnership of 61 before both got out in quick succession.

The tension was back in the Indian ranks, before KL Rahul (33 not out) and Hardik Pandya (18) calmed nerves with a mature partnership.

India thus emerged champions with an all-win record. This is their third Champions Trophy triumph, having earlier won in 2002 and 2013.

Brief Scores

New Zealand 251/7 in 50 overs (Daryl Mitchell 63, John Bracewell 53*, Rachin Ravindra 37; Kuldeep Yadav 2/40, Varun Chakravarthy 2/45, Ravindra Jadeja 1/30).

India 254/6 in 49 overs (Rohit Sharma 76, Shreyas Iyer 48, KL Rahul 34*; Michael Bracewell 2/28, Mitchell Santner 2/46).

Result: India won by 4 wickets.

Player of the Final: Rohit Sharma.