India entered the ICC Champions Trophy title on March 9 at Dubai. This is India’s second consecutive ICC title win under Rohit Sharma Captaincy. In the 2023 World Cup, after winning every match, they stumbled in the final against Australia. This time, history did not repeat itself. India dominated New Zealand and secured the trophy with a commanding performance.
New Zealand fought bravely, like underdogs in a dramatic battle. Their defense was strong but India’s talent and depth were too much to handle. With this victory India now holds two of the four major ICC trophies. They had fallen short in the finals of the other two.
For Rohit Sharma the past six months had been tough. He struggled for runs and even had to drop himself from the playing XI. Doubts about his future and rumors of disagreements with coach, Gautam Gambhir added pressure. But in the end Rohit shined. He led India to another ICC title and proved his worth as captain.
Throughout the Champions Trophy Rohit stuck to his aggressive approach. He attacked bowlers early aiming to give the team a solid start. Though his scores before the final were modest (41, 20, 15 and 28) he delivered when it mattered most. Sharma match winning 76 in the final silenced all the critics about him. He was named Player of the Final.
Rohit’s batting has always been fearless. He takes advantage of power plays by playing attacking shots. But consistency was an issue. Dubai’s slow pitches made scoring tough especially after the power play. No team managed to score 300 in any of the five matches here. Understanding this challenge Rohit played aggressively at the start.
“I didn’t change anything,” Rohit explained. “In these conditions runs in the first 10 overs are crucial. Once the field spreads and spinners come in it gets tough.”
As captain, his job goes beyond scoring runs. He must bring out the best in his team. Under his leadership India has reached four ICC finals winning two. Critics question losses in between but Rohit stays realistic. “Losing a series doesn’t mean the team is weak. Opponents also play to win. We lost a Test series to New Zealand but that’s part of the game.”
Keeping a team motivated is not easy. But Rohit believes in his squad. “India is a bloody good team. My job is to make sure every player contributes. The hunger to win is already there.”
He also credited past captains and coaches for shaping the team’s success. “It’s not just me. Many captains and coaches before Gambhir and Rahul Dravid played a role in building this team.”
Rohit is not just a great batsman. He is also a great leader. He understood that to be a champion team India needed to win ICC knockout matches. India have done just that losing only one game in the last three ICC tournaments while winning two title.
