Team India registered a convincing win over New Zealand in the Champions Trophy 2025 final. All-rounder Hardik Pandya played a key role for India as well. However, he also remembered the heartbreak in the 2017 edition of the tournament as India had lost to Pakistan in the final in England, where Hardik was part of the team as well.
“Always amazing to win an ICC event. I remember 2017 very closely, couldn’t finish that time. Very pleased to have done it here,” Hardik told the official broadcaster.
Hardik Pandya was the lone player for India in the 2017 final as he smashed a 43-ball 76, but the knock could not help his team from suffering a heavy defeat as well. Set a target of 252 by New Zealand, India reached the target with four wickets and six balls to spare to win their third Champions Trophy title, after 2002 and 2013 as well. And, the all-rounder praised KL Rahul as well.
“KL was calm, he took his chances at the right time. He has immense talent, no one can time it as well as him. As confident as I could be that I could get over the line. Keeping composure is all that matters, happy to have done it this time. I’ve batted in times like this in three out of the five games,” Rahul said. “Hard to put in words, but the team has pure skill. The way we’ve all had to play cricket growing up, we faced pressure from the time we became professional cricketers. The BCCI have groomed all of them and we’ve challenging ourselves to get better.”
Meanwhile, mystery spinner Varun Chakaravarthy did well in the tournament with nine wickets in three matches as well.
“It was a sudden inclusion (on being part of the XI from the league match against New Zealand), I didn’t expect to turn out like this, a dream come true. The spin was less in the first innings and I had to be disciplined, just stick to the basics,” Chakaravarthy said.
Opener Shubman Gill, who started the tournament with a hundred against Bangladesh, shared his awe for his skipper’s free-flowing batting as well.
“Felt amazing. For the most time, I sat back and enjoyed Rohit’s batting. He told me doesn’t matter how the scoreboard gap is, the aim was to bat till the end. We missed out in 2023, happy to win eight ODIs back to back. Seeing the intensity with which he plays with is amazing. He keeps telling us to give it everything and backs it up. New Zealand are very consistent and execute plans accurately. We know they give it their all. They showed it tonight with the consistency,” Gill said.
Veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja said, “That is how it is with me; sometimes a hero, sometimes a zero. The wicket was not easy for a new batter. Hardik and KL were great. Winning the Champions Trophy is a huge thing. If you don’t win a big tournament after playing so long, it hurts.”
“It is easy to say that four spinners in the team, but it is very tough to manage four spinners. There was a lot of planning and all credit to Rohit bhai. Big party tonight,” Kuldeep said. “Luckily my batting wasn’t needed. KL and Hardik did brilliantly. I don’t believe in favourites tags but we have been doing brilliantly. This win is dedicated to our fans.”
