India Ends Long Wait for 50-Over ICC Glory with Historic Champions Trophy Win
India’s quest for a 50-over ICC trophy finally ended as the team clinched the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 with a commanding victory over New Zealand. Displaying true champion spirit, India remained unbeaten throughout the tournament, delivering a collective performance that led them to glory.
Key players like Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, and KL Rahul anchored the team during the league stages, while captain Rohit Sharma rose to the occasion in the final. His brilliant 76-run knock on a challenging pitch played a crucial role in India’s successful chase of 252. India’s spinners were equally instrumental in the team’s triumph, consistently dominating throughout the tournament.
Rohit Sharma Creates History
With his match-winning 76, Rohit Sharma etched his name into the record books. He was named Player of the Match (POTM) for his stellar innings, becoming the oldest player ever to win a POTM award in an ICC ODI tournament final. At 37 years and 313 days, he surpassed Adam Gilchrist’s record and became the only player to achieve this feat after turning 37.
Oldest Players to Win POTM in an ICC ODI Final:
🔹 37y 313d – Rohit Sharma (IND) – vs NZ, Champions Trophy 2025
🔹 35y 165d – Adam Gilchrist (AUS) – vs SL, ODI World Cup 2007
🔹 32y 274d – Mohinder Amarnath (IND) – vs WI, 1983 World Cup
🔹 30y 294d – Clive Lloyd (WI) – vs AUS, 1975 World Cup
Additionally, Rohit became only the fourth captain to win POTM in an ICC ODI final, joining the elite company of Clive Lloyd, Ricky Ponting, and MS Dhoni. He also holds the distinction of being the only captain in history to lead a team to the final of every major ICC tournament.
Rohit Sharma Shuts Down Retirement Rumors
Amid speculation about his future, Rohit Sharma has put all retirement talks to rest, confirming that he has no plans to step away from ODI cricket. After leading India to a historic Champions Trophy victory against New Zealand, the Indian captain made his stance clear.
“I am not going to retire,” Rohit stated emphatically after the final.
“One more thing—I’m not retiring from this format, just to ensure no rumors spread moving forward,” he added.
Having led India to four ICC tournament finals, including two title wins, Rohit remains committed to the team’s future.
