'Isme Koi Kami Nahi Hain' - Rohit Sharma candidly picks between World Cup and Champions Trophy wins
"You win any finals, you feel very proud. And not only me, the whole team, the whole nation would be feeling very happy today," said Rohit after the game.
Team India and the entire country felt ecstasy after their triumph in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday, March 09. India beat New Zealand by four wickets in the grand finale against New Zealand to clinch their third trophy in the tournament's history, and the first in a little less than twelve years.
In the summit clash, the star performer was the Men in Blue skipper Rohit Sharma. The 37-year-old not only led his troops to victory, but also smashed a match-winning 76 runs from 83 balls, which eased out the run chase under pressure for the Indian team. Rohit also received Player of the Match for this inning, which made him the only captain to win it in a final.
The Nagpur-born came up and addressed the media after the game to share his raw thoughts on the feeling of winning his second trophy in a matter of nine months, and first as captain in ODIs. When asked about the comparison between an ODI World Cup and a Champions Trophy win, Rohit said that the latter is no lesser than any victory by any means.
"Since childhood, we were watching 50-over World Cup only. No T20 World Cup, WTC or Champions Trophy was there. That's why I said at that time that it is like 50-over World Cup for us. But this (points at the trophy) is no lesser. You ask me how much it feels to win this. See, a trophy is trophy. You win any finals, you feel very proud. And not only me, the whole team, the whole nation would be feeling very happy today," Rohit said at the post-match press conference (translated from Hindi).
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0Speaking of the match, the Mitchell Santner-led side batted first after winning the toss and had more-than-a-decent start. Opener Rachin Ravindra (37 off 29) looked dangerous, but Kuldeep Yadav (10-0-40-2) got the rid off him early in his spell. Later, Daryl Mitchell (63 off 101) and Michael Bracewell (53 off 40)'s knocks led them past 251-7 in 50 overs.
In reply, Rohit alongside his deputy Shubman Gill racked up a solid 105-run stand for the first wicket. However, three quick wickets in the form of both the openers and star batter Virat Kohli meant that India needed to steady the sinking ship. That is when Shreyas Iyer (48 off 62) and KL Rahul (34* off 33) chipped in with small, but impactful knocks to help India cross the finishing line. Ravindra Jadeja hit the winning runs, as the Men in Blue won with an over to spare.
Also Read: Champions Trophy 2025: Has Ravindra Jadeja retired from ODIs?
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