India overcame a stiff challenge from Latest Zealand in the ultimate of the 2025 Champions Trophy and defeated their ICC-tournament nemesis by 4 wickets in a thriller on the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday night. The spin quartet were the heroes for India within the evening with the wrist spinners – Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy – causing severe damage to the highest order while Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel choked the flow of runs in the center overs. Skipper Rohit Sharma led the way in which along with his aggressive template within the powerplay while Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul maintained a cool and calm head in tense moments within the run-chase.
We take a look at just a few numbers which defined India’s victorious campaign at the 2025 Champions Trophy.
India – the most effective batting and bowling unit
India had a combined batting average of 41.72 within the tournament. Although, Australia and South Africa were marginally higher, India played all their encounters on the bowler-friendly Dubai wicket. Australia played just one match in Dubai whereas South Africa benefitted from playing all their encounters on placid tracks in Pakistan. Only for perspective, Latest Zealand, who played two matches in Dubai, had a batting average of 25.23 on the venue and a corresponding strike rate of 74.73. Lahore had the very best batting average within the competition of 40.69 while Dubai was at the underside with a corresponding average of 30.77.
India also had probably the most potent bowling unit within the tournament despite the absence of Jasprit Bumrah. That they had the most effective bowling average (27.32) and economy rate (4.8) within the competition. While the Indian spin quartet stood out and had a combined average of 28.38 – the most effective within the tournament, the pacers didn’t do badly either and remarkably also topped the charts by way of bowling average (25.7).
India – probably the most lethal spin bowling unit
India’s recent spin quartet exploited the favourable conditions in Dubai brilliantly and combined to take 26 wickets – probably the most for any spin unit within the tournament.
That they had the most effective average (28.38), strike rate (37.7) and economy (4.51) within the tournament. Varun Chakravarthy was the pick of the Indian spinners with nine wickets at 15.1 apiece at an economy of 4.5. Six of his nine dismissals were of the highest 6 opposition batters. He picked up a few crucial wickets within the powerplay where he conceded just 33 runs off 30 deliveries within the tournament.
Kuldeep Yadav was the very best impact bowler in the ultimate changing the match on its head along with his twin blows of Rachin Ravindra and Kane Williamson in successive overs. He returned with seven wickets within the tournament while Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel were phenomenally restrictive bowling a good line and length and had a combined economy of 4.35 within the tournament.
Interestingly, it was Latest Zealand who were the second-best spin bowling unit of the tournament with the second-best bowling average (30.45) and strike rate (37.9). Mitchell Santner was exceptional in the center overs and returned with nine wickets at a mean of 26.7 and economy of 4.8! Off-spinner, Michael Bracewell was the actual surprise package though with eight wickets at 25.12 apiece at an economy of 4.1. He bowled a sensational 174 dot balls – probably the most for any bowler within the tournament!
Rohit’s aggressive template
Rohit Sharma led by example and continued along with his aggressive powerplay template which has brought wealthy dividends to India post their early ouster within the 2021 T20 World Cup within the UAE. The Indian skipper has since emphasized on maximizing the scoring opportunities in the primary 10 overs specializing in getting runs as a substitute of conserving wickets.
It was Rohit’s 76 off 83 deliveries which gave India the impetus at first within the run-chase in the ultimate before the Latest Zealand spinners tightened the screws in the center overs. Rohit hammered 153 runs off just 137 deliveries at a rate of 111.7 within the powerplay within the tournament which eased the pressure considerably on the middle-order. He has a scoring rate of 122.56 within the powerplay since 2023 which is the second-highest on this phase of play (min. 200 runs) only after Travis Head.
Shreyas’ magical consistency
Shreyas Iyer was India’s batter of the tournament. He didn’t rating big runs but made invaluable contributions in almost every encounter scoring tough runs under pressure. Iyer was the second-highest run-getter of the tournament with 243 runs in five innings which included two half-centuries.
A match-defining 114-run stand with Virat Kohli against Pakistan, weathered the storm from 22/2 (which worsened to 30/3) and top-scored against Latest Zealand, an under-pressure 45 against Australia within the semi-final and at last a vital 48 at a critical juncture against Latest Zealand in the ultimate – Iyer was phenomenally consistent, delivering the products in almost every encounter when his team needed him probably the most. Iyer has been in top-notch form since his return to the Indian unit for the ODI series against England.
He has an aggregate of 424 runs in eight matches and a strike rate of 93.6 which incorporates 4 fifties and two other high-impact forties.
KL Rahul – Mr Cool
KL Rahul produced three high-impact performances with the bat under high-pressure within the tournament, showcasing a peaceful head and excellent temperament. He got here out to bat at a tough 144/4 against Bangladesh and put together a match-winning unbeaten stand of 87 with Shubman Gill.
Rahul then eased tensions with an aesthetic undefeated 42 off just 34 deliveries within the semi-final against Australia. In a tense final, Rahul walked out to bat at 183 for 4 and held his nerve scoring an unbeaten 34 off 33 deliveries taking India through to a memorable four-wicket win with an over to spare.
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