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Team India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja hit a winning four in the Champions Trophy 2025 final against New Zealand at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday, March 9.
The Men in Blue finally put an end to 12 years of Champions Trophy title drought with a thrilling six-wicket win over New Zealand. With a target of 252, India chased it down in the penultimate over. Skipper Rohit Sharma was the star performer for the side as he led the batting by giving a fiery start to their run-chase and played much-needed and brilliant innings of 76 off 83 balls.
Apart from Rohit Sharma, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, and Axar Patel contributed to India’s run-chase significantly with an innings of 48, 34*, and 29. Just like in the semifinal against Australia, KL Rahul once again stepped up for the Men in Blue at crucial juncture during the thrilling run-chase. However, Ravindra Jadeja gave a finishing touch to India’s run-chase. Jadeja walked in to bat when India were at 241/6 after Hardik Pandya’s dismissal and required 12 off 15 balls to win the final.
Jadeja and Rahul played slowly rather than taking risks of going for a shot that could prove costly for India. When Team India required just 2 runs off seven balls, Ravindra Jadeja smashed a winning four to take the team past the finishing line. On the final ball of the 49th over, Jadeja faced length delivery off William O’Rourke and got into a good position to eventually nail the pull behind square. As soon as Ravindra Jadeja hit the winning runs, Indian dressing erupted in joy as the all-rounder and KL Rahul celebrated before their teammates joined in on the ground to celebrate.
WATCH: Ravindra Jadeja’s winning four in CT 2025 finalTeam Indian clinched the Champions Trophy for the third time in the tournament’s history. The first title win came in 2002 when Sourav Ganguly-led side shared the prestigious title with Sri Lanka. After a gap of 11 years, the Men in Blue reclaimed the Champions Trophy title under the leadership of MS Dhoni, defeating England in the final.
Additionally, the Men in Blue won the second consecutive ICC title. Last year, Rohit Sharma and boys ended the 11-year ICC when they triumphed in the T20 World Cup by defeating South Africa in the final. Overall, Team India won seven titles in the history of ICC tournaments, including two ODI World Cups in 1983 and 2011, as many T20 World Cup triumphs in 2007 and 2024, and three Champions Trophy crowns in 2002, 2013, and 2025.
Ravindra Jadeja hails Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul’s partnershipRavindra Jadeja lavished praise on Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul for their crucial partnership, believing that it was a game-changing moment. He added that it was a big moment for being part of the team that won the Champions Trophy again.
“My batting number is such that I'm either a hero or a zero at the end of the game. It was important that KL and Hardik did well in that partnership, scoring runs was a game changing moment.” all-rounder said.
“The wicket wasn't easy going into batting at first, it's an important tournament, playing for India and winning the Champions Trophy for the country is big, you do regret when you don't be part of winning teams after having played for so many years.” he added.
