Hailing Rohit’s leadership, Axar said, “Speaking of captaincy, obviously he knows exactly where to use which player. And that’s the quality of a good captain. Haath mein trophy hai (the trophy is in his hands). What more praise does he need? He’s made India ICC champions twice now.”
Rohit’s tactical nous and aggressive mindset were on full display as India clinched their third Champions Trophy title — a feat unmatched by any other nation — with an unbeaten record throughout the tournament.
Rohit led from the front with a blistering 76 off 83 balls, setting the tone in a tense 252-run chase on a sluggish pitch in Dubai.
India’s bowlers, especially the spin quartet of Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, Ravindra Jadeja, and Axar Patel, laid the foundation for victory by stifling the New Zealand batting line-up.
Kuldeep (2/40) and Chakravarthy (2/45) were particularly impactful, triggering a middle-order collapse that saw the Kiwis go 81 balls without a boundary.
Despite fifties from Daryl Mitchell (63) and Michael Bracewell (53), New Zealand’s 251/7 fell short.
Rohit and Shubman Gill gave India a flying start, before contributions from Shreyas Iyer (48), Axar (29), and a calm unbeaten 34 from KL Rahul saw India home in 49 overs.
This title adds another golden chapter to Rohit Sharma’s legacy as captain — now with two ICC trophies to his name — and further cements his reputation as a tactician who knows how to unlock the best from his players on the biggest stages.