Champions Trophy is an opportunity for players who might not get another shot at ICC event: Aakash Chopra

The year 2017 left India with unfinished business as the ‘Men in Blue’ fell short in the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy final against Pakistan. On a special episode of JioHotstar’s Unfinished: Kohli’s Crusade, JioStar experts and former cricketers—Suresh Raina, Aakash Chopra, and Sanjay Manjrekar—reflect on that loss and share their thoughts on India’s path to redemption in the 2025 edition.

Aakash Chopra on India’s decision to bowl first in the 2017 final: "When you play against Pakistan—that’s one thing—but two, it’s also the final of a tournament. If you lose the toss, you may be asked to bowl first anyway, and you go with it. But if you win the toss, you bat first and just bat them out of the game. Pakistan will play like Pakistan; you can almost anticipate that they will crumble under pressure if you put enough runs on the board. But we chose to bowl. From what I understood at the time, the coaching staff wanted India to bat first, but the captain wanted to bowl first. In the end, it's the captain who runs the team, and that’s what we did."

Aakash Chopra on the talent in India’s 2017 Champions Trophy squad: "At that time, we had reached a stage where finishing second wasn’t the yardstick of success. We almost thought it was a given—if the Indian team is playing, and you have Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, R. Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, and Hardik Pandya, you should reach the final. But to truly justify the talent and pedigree in that dressing room, you have to lift the trophy."

Suresh Raina on India’s struggles while chasing in ICC tournaments: "We couldn’t chase in the 2015 World Cup against Australia. We couldn’t chase the total in the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2017 final. We tried chasing in 2019, but we couldn’t do it. We didn’t have to chase in the 2013 Champions Trophy final. So, it’s important to put runs on the board in a big final. Sometimes, we make mistakes, but we learn from them. I don’t think we’ll make those mistakes in 2025."

Sanjay Manjrekar on why the 2025 edition is crucial for certain players: "There are a few players in the current team who would still carry the scars of that 2017 final loss to Pakistan—Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli—who are now obviously big names in world cricket. They’ve been through that tough experience. So, winning this tournament would serve as nice ointment for them. But it won’t be an easy game."

Aakash Chopra on why the 2025 ICC Men’s Champions Trophy is important: "The ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 could be the glory that wasn’t in 2017. It was so near yet so far. This is an opportunity—for the team, for the nation, and especially for players who might not get another shot at an ICC event."