India clinched the ICC Champions Trophy with a four-wicket victory over New Zealand in Dubai. The match, held at the Dubai International Stadium, saw New Zealand setting a target of 252 runs, with notable contributions from Daryl Mitchell (63) and Michael Bracewell (53*). India’s spin quartet—Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, Axar Patel, and Ravindra Jadeja—played a pivotal role, restricting New Zealand’s progress and collectively taking key wickets.
In response, India began their chase confidently, led by captain Rohit Sharma’s impressive 76 runs. Despite a spectacular catch by Glenn Phillips that dismissed Shubman Gill and momentarily shifted the momentum, India remained composed. Crucial contributions from Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, and an unbeaten 34 from KL Rahul guided India to victory with six balls to spare.
This triumph adds to India’s recent dominance in white-ball cricket, marking their second global title in nine months. However, the tournament’s scheduling has sparked controversy. Due to political tensions, India refused to play matches in Pakistan, the designated host nation. Consequently, all of India’s matches, including the final, were relocated to Dubai, leading to allegations of India benefiting from ‘home’ advantage throughout the tournament.
New Zealand’s captain, Mitchell Santner, acknowledged that his team fell short by approximately 20 runs and struggled against India’s spinners. Despite the defeat, Santner praised his team’s overall performance in the competition, especially considering the absence of key pacer Matt Henry due to injury.
India’s consistent success in ICC events continues to solidify their status as a formidable force in international cricket. Yet, the circumstances surrounding this tournament’s scheduling have ignited discussions about fairness and the influence of geopolitical factors on the sport.
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