Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: India defeated New Zealand by 4 wickets on Sunday to claim its third ICC Champions Trophy title.
Batting first after winning the toss, New Zealand, posted a competitive total of 251 for the loss of seven wickets in 50 overs. The Kiwis started brightly with openers Rachin Ravindra (37) and Will Young (15) putting on 57 runs in the powerplay. However, India’s spinners turned the tide, with Kuldeep Yadav (2/40) and Varun Chakaravarthy (2/45) dismantling the middle order.
Kane Williamson (11) fell to a sharp caught-and-bowled by Kuldeep, while Daryl Mitchell’s gritty 63 kept the Kiwis in the fight. Michael Bracewell’s unbeaten 53 off 40 balls, including a flurry of boundaries at the death, gave New Zealand a defendable total.
India made a solid start in the chase as captain Rohit Sharma (76 off 83 balls) and Shubman Gill (31) posted 105 runs for the opening stand. But New Zealand struck back with Glenn Phillips taking a stunning catch at short cover to dismiss Gill, followed by Michael Bracewell (2/28) trapping Virat Kohli (1) leg before.
Although Shreyas Iyer (48) and Axar Patel (29) steadied the chase, New Zealand fought back with quick wickets. However, KL Rahul (34 not out) and Ravindra Jadeja (9 not out) held their nerve. Jadeja’s winning boundary off the second-last over sparked wild celebrations in Dubai and India.
Rohit Sharma was adjudged Player of the match, while Rachin Ravindra was declared Player of the Series.
India shared the Champions Trophy title with Sri Lanka in 2002 and lifted its second in 2013.
Published On: 10 Mar 2025
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