Indian captain Rohit Sharma emphasized the significance of winning the Champions Trophy, highlighting that while the 50-overs World Cup holds ultimate importance, securing the Champions Trophy title is a remarkable achievement. India triumphed over New Zealand by four wickets in the final, clinching their third Champions Trophy title.
Chasing a target of 252 runs, Rohit Sharma played a crucial innings of 76 runs, including seven boundaries and three sixes, laying a solid foundation for the chase. Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, Hardik Pandya, and KL Rahul also made valuable contributions with the bat, guiding the team to victory in Dubai. Amidst speculations about his retirement, Rohit Sharma delivered his best performance in the final match.
Despite a series of low scores in the previous matches, this was Rohit Sharma’s first significant score of over 30 runs in the tournament, proving his ability to perform under pressure in crucial games.
Reflecting on the win, Rohit Sharma stated, “Winning any ICC tournament is a matter of great pride. While the One-day World Cup remains the paramount event for us, winning the Champions Trophy is equally significant and requires immense effort.”
Rohit Sharma dedicated the victory to the entire nation, underscoring the collective joy and pride associated with winning such a prestigious tournament.
Former Indian fast bowler Laxmi Ratan Shukla lauded Rohit Sharma’s captaincy and performance, acknowledging his crucial innings in the final. Shukla also noted the team’s resilience and Virat Kohli’s earlier contributions in the tournament, emphasizing the overall team effort behind this victory.
Furthermore, Laxmi Ratan Shukla highlighted that this victory would overshadow any past criticisms following Testmatch losses against New Zealand and Australia. He praised Rohit Sharma’s exceptional leadership and batting performance, along with Virat Kohli’s form recovery during the tournament.
Rohit Sharma now stands as only the second Indian captain, after MS Dhoni, to have won two or more ICC titles. MS Dhoni remains the sole captain to have won all three major ICC white-ball tournaments.
