The Indian team clinched the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 with an impressive display, defeating New Zealand by four wickets in the final held on Sunday (March 10) at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. The Rohit Brigade remained unbeaten throughout the tournament, securing victories in all five matches. This marks the third time India has won the Champions Trophy, previously being joint winners with Sri Lanka in 2002 under Sourav Ganguly's captaincy, and securing the title again in 2013 under Mahendra Singh Dhoni's leadership.
In the 2025 Champions Trophy, Indian players showcased remarkable performances, elevating their game standards in crucial matches. For instance, Virat Kohli played stellar innings against Pakistan and then in the semi-final against Australia, while Rohit Sharma displayed exceptional skills in the title match. Team India's bowling was also commendable. Amidst all this, the contribution of Team India's head coach Gautam Gambhir cannot be ignored; he's the real scriptwriter of this victory.
Gautam Gambhir took charge as head coach nearly eight months ago, stepping into the role after the T20 World Cup 2024. His first ODI series as a head coach was in Sri Lanka, where the Indian team unexpectedly lost 0-2. It was for the first time in 27 years that India lost a bilateral ODI series to Sri Lanka.
Following that defeat, Gambhir faced intense criticism. The Indian team suffered a 0-3 loss at home in the Test series against New Zealand and did not reach the finals of the World Test Championship’s current cycle due to defeats such as the one in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy during the Australia tour. There were calls for action against Gambhir if Team India did not perform well under his leadership in the Champions Trophy.
However, Gautam Gambhir withstood the criticism and did not alter the intent behind his methods. Recently, when a journalist questioned Gambhir about captain Rohit Sharma's form, he responded by saying, 'You only see the numbers; as coaches, we look at the intent.' During his tenure, especially in ODI cricket, Gambhir experimented in ways that shaped a champion team in just eight months.
1. Axar at Number 5:
A year ago, no one envisioned Axar Patel batting at number 5 in ODIs, but Gautam Gambhir's strategy succeeded. Axar batted at the fifth position in England's initial two matches of a recent ODI series, scoring 52 and an unbeaten 41 runs. Following this, Gambhir continued to use him in the same position during the Champions Trophy, where Axar delivered outstanding performances in the group match and final against New Zealand and the semi-final against Australia.
2. Varun’s Selection:
After becoming coach, Gautam Gambhir reintroduced mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy to Team India in October 2024, about three years later. Varun seized the opportunity and did not look back. His inclusion in the Champions Trophy, replacing Yashasvi Jaiswal, surprised fans but turned out to be a 'masterstroke' by Gambhir. Varun justified Gambhir’s faith by taking five wickets in the group match against New Zealand and playing vital roles in the semi-final and final.
Source: aajtak
3. The Spin Quartet:
At the time of selecting India's team for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, the spotlight was on the spin attack. The Indian squad included five spinners: Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, and Varun Chakravarthy. Gambhir’s foresight proved right, as India’s spin quartet (Jadeja, Axar, Varun, and Kuldeep) triumphed on Dubai’s pitches, posing a serious challenge to opposing batsmen even in the finals.
4. Trust in KL Rahul:
In the ODI series against England, wicketkeeper-batsman KL Rahul scored just 52 runs in three matches, sparking demands for Rishabh Pant's inclusion in the playing eleven. However, both captain Rohit and Gambhir retained their trust in KL Rahul, who emerged as the unsung hero of India’s Champions Trophy 2025 victory. Rahul’s batting in clutch situations during the semi-final and final was commendable, silencing his critics questioning his place in the team.
5. Batting Depth to Number 8:
The batting order of the Indian team looked robust during the Champions Trophy 2025, thanks to capable batsmen up to the eighth position. This meant that even if wickets fell during the early or middle overs, there wasn’t excessive panic. Both captain Rohit and head coach Gambhir believed in having bowlers who can bat at numbers 8 or 9. The strategy of a batting depth of eight players proved to be successful for the team.
