March 9, 2025. Dubai was hot. Not just "summer is coming" hot, but that heavy, desert heat that makes the ball feel like a piece of lead and the outfield like a furnace. If you were watching the India vs NZ Champions Trophy final, you probably felt that tension through the screen. Most people expected a typical India-New Zealand heartbreaker where the Black Caps somehow find a way to ruin the party.
Honestly? It almost happened again.
India won by four wickets, sure. But that scorecard—254/6 chasing 251—doesn't even begin to describe how much sweat and panic went into those 49 overs. It was the third Champions Trophy title for the Men in Blue, making them the first team ever to hit that triple. More importantly, they did it undefeated.
The Spin Trap and New Zealand’s Gritty 251
Mitchell Santner won the toss and did exactly what you’d expect: he chose to bat. He knew the Dubai International Cricket Stadium surface was going to slow down. It’s a neutral venue quirk—since India didn’t travel to Pakistan for the tournament, they played everything in the UAE, and the pitches were starting to look a bit tired by the final.
New Zealand started like they were in a hurry. Will Young and Rachin Ravindra put on 57 runs in just about eight overs.
Then Rohit Sharma brought on the spin.
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The Varun-Kuldeep Show
Varun Chakaravarthy is a bit of a mystery, even to his teammates sometimes. He trapped Young lbw in the eighth over, and suddenly the run rate plummeted. Between overs 11 and 30, India basically put New Zealand in a headlock. They only conceded about 3.3 runs an over during that stretch.
- Kuldeep Yadav was surgical. He got Rachin for 37 and then, in a moment that felt like a dagger to Kiwi fans, he caught-and-bowled Kane Williamson for just 11.
- Daryl Mitchell was the only one who really dug in. He made 63 off 101 balls. It wasn't pretty, and he only hit three boundaries, but he kept them from collapsing.
- Michael Bracewell provided the late fireworks, smashing a 53 off 40 balls to push the total to 251/7.
At the break, 251 felt "okay." Not great, but enough to make a final interesting.
Rohit Sharma: The Captain’s Final Statement
If you want to know why India won, look at the first 15 overs of the chase. Rohit Sharma played like a man who had a flight to catch. He smashed 76 off 83 balls, and for a while, it looked like India would finish the game by the 35th over. He and Shubman Gill put on 105 for the first wicket.
Then, the "New Zealand thing" happened.
You know the one. That weird 20-minute window where they take three wickets for nothing and suddenly everyone in India is checking their blood pressure.
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The Collapse That Almost Was
- Shubman Gill (31) got out to a freakish catch by Glenn Phillips.
- Virat Kohli walked in, faced four balls, and got trapped lbw by Bracewell for 1. The stadium went silent.
- Rohit Sharma got lured down the track by Rachin Ravindra and stumped by Tom Latham.
Suddenly, it was 122/3. The cruise had turned into a climb. Shreyas Iyer (48) and Axar Patel (29) had to do the boring, ugly work of rebuilding. They added 61 runs, which basically took the game away from New Zealand, even though both fell before the finish line.
Why This India vs NZ Champions Trophy Final Felt Different
Most fans remember the 2000 final. That was the last time these two met in a Champions Trophy final, and Chris Cairns broke Indian hearts back then. This felt like the ghosts of 2000 were finally put to rest.
New Zealand was playing without Matt Henry, their leading wicket-taker, who was out with an injury. To make matters worse, Kane Williamson messed up his quad while batting and couldn't even take the field for the second innings. Santner had to lead a depleted side against a Rohit Sharma who looked like he was playing on a different planet.
Key Stats from the Final
The numbers tell a story of dominance and slight desperation. Rohit became the first captain to win the Player of the Match in a Champions Trophy final. Rachin Ravindra, despite the loss, took home the Player of the Tournament award with 263 runs and key wickets.
- India's Score: 254/6 (49 overs)
- New Zealand's Score: 251/7 (50 overs)
- Winning Margin: 4 wickets
- Target: 252
KL Rahul (34*) and Ravindra Jadeja (9*) were the ones in the middle when the winning runs were hit. It wasn't a classic six-to-win finish. It was a couple of nudges, a few singles, and a lot of relief.
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The Impact on the World Rankings
This win solidified India's spot at the top of the ODI rankings. But more than that, it changed the narrative about them "choking" in ICC finals. Winning the T20 World Cup in 2024 and now the Champions Trophy in 2025 has turned them into a trophy-winning machine.
For New Zealand, it's another "so close yet so far" story. They’ve played three Champions Trophy finals now (2000, 2009, 2025) and have only won one. They fought hard, especially Michael Bracewell with that late fifty, but they were always twenty runs short on a pitch that didn't crumble as much as Santner hoped.
Lessons from the Match
If you're looking for takeaways, the biggest one is the importance of "Mystery Spin" in the middle overs. Varun Chakaravarthy’s return to the national side was the X-factor nobody saw coming a year ago. His 2/42 in the final was probably just as important as Rohit’s 76.
If you're a cricket fan or a bettor looking at future ICC events, keep an eye on how teams handle the 11-40 over block. India won this game there, not in the death overs.
Actionable Insights for Cricket Fans:
- Watch the Replays of the 11th-30th overs: Most people skip to the finish, but the way Kuldeep and Varun dried up the runs is a masterclass in modern ODI bowling.
- Track Rachin Ravindra’s Growth: He’s clearly the next big thing in world cricket, winning Player of the Tournament in a losing cause.
- Check India's Squad Depth: Notice how players like Axar Patel and Shreyas Iyer stepped up when the "Big Two" (Kohli and Rohit) fell in quick succession.
The next Champions Trophy isn't until 2029, so India gets to hold onto this trophy for a long time. They've earned it.