Hardik Pandya hails KL Rahul's composure after India's Champions Trophy 2025 triumph

Hardik Pandya won his second ICC tournament as India player after India won the Champions Trophy 2025 on Sunday, March 09. His cameo in the grand finale against New Zealand helped add the finishing touch to India's chase in the grand finale at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. His short stay at the crease saw him partner well with KL Rahul that sailed India to safe waters.

Opening up on the raw emotions after the game, Pandya that each individual in the team is filled with self-belief in skills that they keep, and that's what has helped the team's cause. He also heaped massive praises on Rahul, recognizing the wicketkeeper-batter for the immense talent that he possesses. Furthermore, the Baroda all-rounder also claimed that no one can match the stroke making abilities of Rahul on his day.

"We believe in our skill set, and that’s what helped us play the brand of cricket we did. There’s self-belief in everyone. Even if one of us gets out—be it me, KL, or anyone else—we know that as a group, we can get the job done. This victory wasn’t about individual brilliance—it was a complete team effort. Everyone contributed at the right moments, whether it was an exceptional catch, a crucial bowling spell, or a game-changing innings. And that’s what made this win even more special," Hardik said via Star Sports.

"I want to specially mention KL Rahul—this is who he is. The amount of talent and the time he has—very few players have that. What he did in the last two games showcased his ability, and I’m really happy for him," he added.

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God has been kind to me: Rahul

For the unversed, the Karnataka batter had been on the receiving of massive criticism following his sluggish knock of 66 runs from 107 balls during the ODI World Cup final in 2023. As a result, it was a redemption of sorts for Rahul to be in the driver's seat that drove the Men in Blue past the finishing line. Rahul made 34* off 33 balls with a boundary and a six. He made 140 runs at an average of 140.00 and remained not out thrice in the tournament.

"I don’t think there’s a better feeling than this. I had said this in a Star Sports interview a couple of months ago—that my entire focus from now on is to win as many titles as possible. God has been kind to put me in situations where I can win games for my team. I haven’t always been able to do that, but that’s the beauty of sport—you keep getting opportunities. If you stay humble, put your heart in the right place, train hard, and let your bat do the talking, God finds ways to bless you. That’s all I can say. We work hard all year, throughout our careers, but moments like these are truly special," the Bengaluru-born said.