And so it ends. A tournament that promised drama. Delivered tension. And in the end, crowned a familiar king. At the Dubai International Stadium, India completed their unbeaten run to lift the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy. They did it with skill, steel, and a little bit of nerves—overcoming a spirited New Zealand by four wickets with six balls to spare.
For India, this was a victory that felt inevitable. For New Zealand, it was yet another gut-wrenching final defeat. And for Kane Williamson, well… one has to wonder if there’s some cosmic conspiracy against one of cricket’s most gracious leaders.
A Tournament Wrapped in Controversy—But India Rose Above It
Let’s address the elephant in the room. The format was loaded in India’s favor. They stayed put while others globe-trotted. They rested while others toiled. The politics of the game have rarely been more overt. But none of that should take away from what Rohit Sharma and his men achieved on the field.
This Indian side could have won in any conditions. They are that good. Whether at home, away, on spinning pitches or green tops, this team has shown that they are the white-ball giants of this generation. Their record in global tournaments over the past few years? Played 24, won 23. Ruthless.
A Final That Lived Up to the Hype (Almost)
Chasing 252 on a sluggish Dubai surface was never going to be a cakewalk. But India, as they have throughout this tournament, made the chase look like an art form—even if there were a few shaky brushstrokes along the way.
Rohit Sharma set the tone, as he often does, with a brisk 76 that settled Indian nerves early. Shubman Gill partnered him beautifully, and for the first time in the tournament, India’s openers stitched together a century stand. New Zealand struck back with brilliance—Michael Bracewell’s golden arm removing Kohli first ball and Glenn Phillips plucking a gravity-defying one-handed screamer to dismiss Gill.
But amidst the chaos, there was KL Rahul. Calm, composed, and ice-cold in the final overs. Although, his unbeaten 34 might not scream match-winner on paper, but it was Rahul’s steely nerves that guided India home. Fittingly, it was Ravindra Jadeja who sealed it with a boundary. A nod to India’s all-round dominance throughout the tournament.
Spin: India’s Secret Weapon
The real story of India’s campaign wasn’t just the batting firepower. It was the spin quartet (Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, Axar Patel, and Ravindra Jadeja.) They choked oppositions into submission. They bowled a staggering 38 overs in the final. Conceded just 144 runs and claimed five crucial wickets.
Kuldeep set the tone. He dismissed Rachin Ravindra on his first ball with a googly. Then came Kane Williamson, deceived and dismissed in Kuldeep’s very next over. It was clinical. It was suffocating. New Zealand, after a promising powerplay, found themselves shackled, managing only four boundaries between the 9th and 43rd overs.
Daryl Mitchell’s painstakingly slow fifty—taking 91 balls—was symbolic of New Zealand’s struggle. They couldn’t break free. It was beautiful paralysis, orchestrated by India’s spinners.
New Zealand: The Nearly Men of World Cricket
You have to feel for New Zealand. They fought tooth-and-nail, as they always do. Mitchell Santner’s clever captaincy, Michael Bracewell’s all-round brilliance, Glenn Phillips’ athleticism—this wasn’t a team lacking in effort or heart.
But the curse of the finals struck again. Their fifth loss in a global final since 2009 is a bitter pill to swallow:
– 2009 Champions Trophy, lost to Australia by 6 wickets
– 2015 ODI World Cup, lost to Australia by 7 wickets
– 2019 ODI World Cup, the heartbreak at Lord’s in a super over
– 2021 T20 World Cup, lost to Australia by 8 wickets
– And now, 2025 Champions Trophy, lost to India by 4 wickets
It’s a cruel pattern, and at the center of it is Kane Williamson. The nicest guy in cricket. The gentleman captain. The unflappable leader. Yet time and again, when he leads his side to the cusp of glory, something—something—goes wrong. Bad luck? A curse? Cricketing fate with a dark sense of humor? Who knows.
The 2019 World Cup final still haunts cricket fans. And now, this latest chapter in Kane’s book of heartbreak only deepens the sense that fate has conspired against one of the game’s finest ambassadors.
India: Back on Top of the World
For India, this was about re-establishing dominance. After a tough tour of Australia, questions were asked. Rohit Sharma and his men answered emphatically. Two global trophies in as many years. A white-ball juggernaut that seems unstoppable.
Virat Kohli summed it up best:
“We wanted to bounce back after a tough tour of Australia. We wanted to win a big tournament and that’s what we’ve ended up doing.”
And bounce back they did. With panache. With precision. With power.
Final Thoughts: Greatness and Ghosts
As the fireworks lit up the Dubai sky and Vishal Mishra belted out tunes during the interval, the contrasts couldn’t have been starker. India celebrated, while New Zealand trudged off, yet again bridesmaids, never the bride.
For India, their sights are now on hosting the next big event. For New Zealand, it’s another in a growing list of “what if” moments. For Kane Williamson… well, here’s hoping the cricketing gods ease up on him someday.
But for now, India stands tall—champions, again.