India Became First Team To Clinch Three ICC Champions Trophies

Team India made history by becoming the first team to win three ICC Champions Trophy titles after defeating New Zealand in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final on Sunday at the Dubai International Stadium. Skipper Rohit Sharma led from the front with a match-winning 76 off 83 balls, earning him the Man of the Match award as India sealed a six-wicket victory.

After losing the toss, India restricted New Zealand to 251/7 in 50 overs. Openers Will Young and Rachin Ravindra gave the Blackcaps a strong start with 51 runs in the first seven overs. However, Varun Chakravarthy provided the breakthrough by trapping Young in front in the eighth over. Wickets fell at regular intervals, but Daryl Mitchell’s gritty 63 off 101 balls and Michael Bracewell’s explosive 53 off 40 deliveries helped New Zealand cross the 250-run mark. Kuldeep Yadav and Chakravarthy took two wickets each, while Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Shami chipped in with one wicket apiece.

Chasing 252, India started briskly with Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill putting up 64 runs in the first 10 overs. Rohit reached his fifty off just 41 balls, but India suffered a minor collapse after Gill was dismissed by Mitchell Santner and Bracewell removed Virat Kohli for 1 in quick succession. The New Zealand bowlers tightened their grip, with Rachin Ravindra dismissing Rohit for 76, leaving India under pressure.

Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel then stitched together a vital 61-run partnership to stabilize the innings before Iyer fell for 48. With 69 runs needed off 68 balls, Axar’s dismissal in the 42nd over added to the tension. However, the experienced duo of KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya handled the pressure with a composed 38-run partnership. Rahul remained unbeaten on 34 off 33 balls, while Ravindra Jadeja sealed the victory with a boundary off the last ball of the 49th over, securing India’s third Champions Trophy title.

This triumph adds to India’s previous victories, including the shared Champions Trophy 2002 title with Sri Lanka and the Champions Trophy 2013 win under MS Dhoni’s leadership. Among other teams, only Australia has won multiple Champions Trophies, while New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies, and Pakistan each have one title.

India’s success not only demonstrates its dominance in the tournament but also underscores their legacy in ICC events.