India's Virat Kohli and teammates celebrate with the winners trophy on the podium after defeating New Zealand in the final cricket match of the ICC Champions Trophy at Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai. AP Photo/Christopher Pike India's Virat Kohli and teammates celebrate with the winners trophy on the podium after defeating New Zealand in the final cricket match of the ICC Champions Trophy at Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai. AP Photo/Christopher Pike

India defeated New Zealand in the summit clash of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 to clinch their third title on Sunday at Dubai International Cricket Stadium in UAE. (Match Highlights | Full Coverage | More Cricket News)80win

Rohit Sharma and his men successfully chased down a 252-run target set by New Zealand in the final. Ravindra Jadeja hit the winning runs on the last delivery of the 49th over to win the match by four wickets.

The match was full of ups and downs. India did not start well but managed to take wickets at regular intervals to create pressure over the Kiwi batters in the first innings.

There were many tuning points in the game which need to be talked about. Let's discuss five talking points of India's title win over Kiwis in Dubai

1. 'Impactful' Varun Chakravarthy

Varun Chakravarthy was introduced into the attack in the sixth over of the match after Mohammed Shami and Hardik Pandya conceded runs. He started with a wide boundary but managed to dismiss Will Young in his second over. There was a dropped catch by Shreyas Iyer earlier in his over but he got rid of the opener batter with a plumb. He went on to dismiss Glenn Phillips later in the inning to finish his ICC Champions Trophy 2025 campaign with seven wickets in just three matches. He had an impactful image in this tournament for India.

uxbet 2. Kuldeep Yadav Shines On Big Stage

Kuldeep Yadav's selection in the final XI was under the scanner after his below average performance in the semi-final match against Australia. But he silenced his critics with the first delivery of his spell when he dismissed Rachin Ravindra in the 11th over. He dismissed the former Kiwi captain Kane Williamson in his second over. His both wickets were the centurions of the semi-final match against South Africa and could have changed the course of New Zealand's innings if they were not dismissed earlier.

3. Rohit Sharma's 'Intent'

Rohit Sharma had saved his best knock of the tournament for the final and he made a blazing 76 to guide India's run chase. He looked in control for most of his inning and hit seven fours and three sixes. He added 105 runs for the first wicket with Shubman Gill. His intent was clear - go big and put New Zealand bowlers under pressure. He targeted Nathan Smith and hit a six in his first and second over and never let him settle. For chasing a 252-run target in the final, one big knock from the top-order was needed and the captain stood there and delivered from the front.

Recently-crowned Thailand Open champions Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty have looked in the best shape for the Olympics, while Sindhu too has geared up with a runner-up finish at the Malaysia Masters on Sunday.

4. New Zealand's Fielding

New Zealand are a well-known fielding side in world cricket, but the pressure of the final was looking evident on their players. Glenn Phillips, who is considered as one of the best fielders of this generation, delivered yet another brilliant piece of fielding when he took a flying catch of Shubman Gill at short mid-on. Rachin Ravindra's diving catch to dismiss Shreyas Iyer was also brilliant!

But,9x999 cassino Kyle Jamieson dropped Shreyas Iyer's catch at mid-wicket when 90 runs were needed off as many balls and India were under pressure. Will Young also misfielded at a few places. Tom Latham also missed at a few moments. Overall, their fielding will be a talking point after the match.

5. KL 'Consistent' Rahul

KL Rahul performed exceptionally well throughout the tournament80win, particularly in the final match. He scored an unbeaten 34 runs off just 33 balls while batting at number six, playing a crucial role in India's unbeaten streak in the tournament. Over the past few years, the Indian team management has used him in various batting positions, and he has consistently delivered strong performances. Rahul fully embraced his role as a finisher and executed it effectively.