Champions Trophy: Rohit, Iyer and Rahul carry unbeaten India to third title victory

Dubai: Captain Rohit Sharma top-scored with 76 while Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya chipped in with important contributions to give India their third Champions Trophy triumph with a four-wicket win over New Zealand in the final at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday.

A chase of 252 looked like an easy task for India on a pitch which didn’t give much turn, but a fighting New Zealand making regular strikes meant that it wasn’t a cakewalk. After Rohit fell for an explosive 83-ball 76, there was a sudden nervous energy in India’s chase. But the enviable batting depth, despite New Zealand’s spinners fighting hard, meant they got over the line with an over to spare.

While Iyer made 48 off 62 balls, Rahul kept his calm to stay till the end and be 34 not out off 33 balls to ensure India got its third Champions Trophy title after 2002 and 2013, becoming the most successful team in the eight-team tournament’s history in front of a stadium majorly filled by Indian fans.

The win would also come as a soothing balm for the Indian team and its ardent fans after missing out on the 2023 ODI World Cup triumph on home soil. On a sunny afternoon, contrasting half-centuries from all-rounders Daryl Mitchell (63 off 101 balls) and Michael Bracewell (53 not out off 40 balls) took New Zealand to 251/7 in their 50 overs.

India’s spinners called the shots majorly to pick five wickets collectively on a sluggish pitch. Wrist spin duo of Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakaravarthy picked two wickets each, while Ravindra Jadeja had a scalp to his name to set the base for a super consistent team.

Brief scores: New Zealand 251/7 in 50 overs (Daryl Mitchell 63, Michael Bracewell 53 not out; Kuldeep Yadav 2-40, Varun Chakaravarthy 2-45) lost to India 254/6 in 49 overs (Rohit Sharma 76, Shreyas Iyer 48; Michael Bracewell 2-28, Mitchell Santner 2-46) by four wickets.

IANS