DUBAI: Rohit Sharma made a combative 76 to back up a potent spin bowling display as India beat New Zealand by four wickets to win a record third ICC Champions Trophy title here at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday.

Chasing 252, India got off to a fast start through their captain’s first half-century of the tournament before KL Rahul hit an unbeaten 34 to help seal victory with six balls to spare in the final in Dubai.

India added to their trophies in 2002 and 2013 to go past Australia, who have two titles.

It was India’s seventh consecutive ODI win against New Zealand who have not beaten the Men in Blue since November 2022.

The world number one ODI team, India finished unbeaten in the eight-nation tournament played in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates.

“It is very nice,” the 37-year-old Rohit said. “We played some good cricket though the tournament. To have the result our way is a great feeling.”

Star batsman Virat Kohli said: “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.

“When you leave, you want to leave in a better position. So many impactful knocks [Shubman] Gill, Shreyas [Iyer], Rahul have played. The team is in good hands,” the 36-year-old veteran added.

Both Kohli and Rohit — the experienced pros of the Indian team — had a lean run of form in India’s 3-1 Test defeat in Australia earlier this year and the pair came into the tournament with speculation swirling over their ODI retirements.

In a battle of spin on a sluggish pitch, New Zealand bowlers put India in trouble at 203-5 with Rohit and Shreyas Iyer, who hit 48, back in the pavilion.

But Rahul kept calm and along with Hardik Pandya (18) and Ravindra Jadeja, who hit the winning boundary, steered the team home to loud cheers from a largely Indian crowd in a sea of blue.

India played all their Champions Trophy matches in Dubai after their government refused to send its team to Pakistan due to political tensions. Both the neighbouring countries have not played a bilateral series in any format since the 2012-13 white-ball series in India but have clashed in different ICC events.

India played four spinners in their last three matches of the Champions Trophy, which proved telling in deciding the outcome of the final.

Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav took two wickets each to help restrict New Zealand to 251-7 after the Black Caps elected to bat first.

In reply, Rohit came out firing as he took on the pace bowlers with regular boundaries including a six and two fours in one over off paceman Nathan Smith.

The captain reached his fifty

— his 57th in ODI cricket — off

41 balls to put pressure on the opposition.

New Zealand’s spinners attempted to pull things back and a stunning catch from Glenn Phillips secured a key breakthrough.

Phillips went airborne to pluck a flying ball at extra cover to dismiss Gill for 31 off skipper Mitchell Santner.

Kohli fell in the next over, trapped lbw for one off Michael Bracewell’s off-spin and the momentum shifted as runs dried up for India.

Right-handed Rohit, after a maiden over from Bracewell, jumped out of his crease against Rachin Ravindra only to be stumped by Tom Latham as India slipped from 105 without loss to 122-3. The Indian captain due to this decisive knock richly earned the player-of-the-final award.

Iyer controlled the chase aided by a dropped catch by Kyle Jamieson but soon fell to Santner.

India lost Axar Patel and Pandya but Rahul stood strong to drag his team over the line.

New Zealand missed their pace spearhead Matt Henry after he was forced out of the final due to a shoulder injury.

Veteran batter Kane Williamson also could not come out to field after his batting effort of 11 due to a quad strain.

Daryl Mitchell hit 63 off 100 balls while Bracewell made a quickfire 53 not out off 40 for New Zealand with the help of three fours and two sixes, but it was not enough against an Indian side having top-class performers with considerable batting depth.

Left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep’s two wickets in the space of two overs to dismiss southpaw Ravindra, for 37, and then Williamson proved crucial as India followed up their group-stage win over New Zealand with another triumph.

SCOREBOARD

NEW ZEALAND:

W. Young lbw Chakaravarthy 15

R. Ravindra b Yadav 37

K. Williamson c&b Yadav 11

D. Mitchell c Sharma b Shami 63

T. Latham lbw Jadeja 14

G. Phillips b Chakaravarthy 34

M. Bracewell not out 53

M. Santner run out 8

N. Smith not out 0

EXTRAS (LB-3, W-13) 16

TOTAL (for seven wickets, 50 overs) 251

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-57 (Young), 2-69 (Ravindra), 3-75 (Williamson), 4-108 (Latham), 5-165 (Phillips), 6-211 (Mitchell), 7-239 (Santner)

DID NOT BAT: K. Jamieson, W. O’Rourke

BOWLING: Shami 9-0-74-1 (1w), Pandya 3-0-30-0 (3w), Chakaravarthy 10-0-45-2 (3w), Yadav 10-0-40-2 (1w), Patel 8-0-29-0 (1w), Jadeja 10-0-30-1

INDIA:

R. Sharma st Latham b Ravindra 76

S. Gill c Phillips b Santner 31

V. Kohli lbw Bracewell 1

S. Iyer c Ravindra b Santner 48

A. Patel c O’Rourke b Bracewell 29

K.L. Rahul not out 34

H. Pandya c&b Jamieson 18

R. Jadeja not out 9

TOTAL (for six wickets, 49 overs) 254

EXTRAS (W-8) 8

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-105 (Gill), 2-106 (Kohli), 3-122 (Sharma), 4-183 (Iyer), 5-203 (Patel), 6-241 (Pandya)

DID NOT BAT: M. Shami, K. Yadav, V. Chakravarthy

BOWLING: Jamieson 5-0-24-1 (1w), O’Rourke 7-0-56-0 (3w), Smith 2-0-22-0, Santner 10-0-46-2 (1w), Ravindra 10-1-47-1 (1w), Bracewell 10-1-28-2, Phillips 5-0-31-0

RESULT: India won by four wickets.

PLAYER-OF-THE-MATCH: Rohit Sharma

PLAYER-OF-THE-TOURNAMENT: Rachin Ravindra

UMPIRES: Paul Reiffel (Australia), Richard Illingworth (England)

TV Umpire: Joel Wilson (West Indies)

Match Referee: Ranjan Madugalle (Sri Lanka)

Published in Dawn, March 10th, 2025