Having won every other game with a measure of comfort, India were pushed all the way in the Champions Trophy final by New Zealand, whose spirited defence of 251 took Rohit Sharma’s team to the brink. For India’s captain, who added this trophy to the T20 World Cup win in June 2024, the challenge posed by Mitchell Santner’s team was no surprise.
“You see the ICC knockouts,” Rohit said in the press conference after the final. “New Zealand is there. And they are one of the consistent teams over the decade now. Maybe more. We made sure that we are right up there with our skill set against that team. Because this is a very clinical team, New Zealand. And they understand their game really, really well. And they know how to play big-pressure games. So, very, very satisfying to beat them.”
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Despite a poor run of form across formats since October, the team management kept faith in Rohit, and there was also considerable support from the fan base. Rohit wasn’t about to forget that. “The whole country,” he said, when asked who he would dedicate the win to. “Because, along with us, I know that our country was so much behind us that we did well, we won. So, I think, along with us, this trophy is for the whole country. When you win the finals of any tournament, and especially in India, we know that wherever we play, we get good support. So, winning this trophy makes the whole team so happy that we did it for our country.
“And we will continue to do so. Whenever we get a chance, whenever we play any tournament, any match, we always try to win the match. But how we do that depends on our planning."
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The foundation for India’s run chase was set right at the top, with Rohit and Shubman Gill adding 105 in just 18.3 overs. “It has been a while now since I have been batting with Gill,” said Rohit. “He has got so much class about his batting. In between, for both of us, it is just about having that constant communication of how to take the game forward.
“When we are batting together, obviously, both of us like to play shots. He likes to pierce the ground, pierce the field. And I like to go aerial. So, it actually works both ways. And it works well for the team as well.”
When it mattered most, it certainly did.
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