India won their third Champions Trophy, in 2025, by defeating New Zealand in the final at Dubai. Here is how the Indians fared in the tournament.
Rohit Sharma: 8/10
M: 5 | 180 runs at 36.00, SR 100, HS: 76, 1 fifty
Four times in four games did Rohit come out to bludgeon the opposition inside the powerplay. Against Bangladesh, that onslaught came off to some extent but not in the other three. The final, of course, was another story: as a result of Rohit’s brutal powerplay assault, India’s asking rate ever threatened to go out of reach.
KL Rahul: 9/10
M: 5 | 140 runs at 140.00, SR 98, HS: 42* | Ct: 5, St: 1
India’s decision to push Rahul down the order and deploy him as the “finisher” came off in spectacular fashion – not once or twice but three times, including the semi-final and the final. Inconsistency has plagued India’s man for all seasons, but this tournament may be the starting point from when things will change.
Virat Kohli: 8.5/10
M: 5 | 218 runs at 54.50, SR 83, HS: 100*, 1 hundred, 1 fifty | Ct: 7
Kohli broke a plethora of records during his unbeaten hundred and 84 in two chases against India’s two arch rivals, two teams against whom Kohli has almost always done well. He rose to the challenge to exorcise the ghosts of the Australian tour, albeit in another format. Gets half a point for holding the joint-most catches in the tournament.
Shreyas Iyer: 8/10
M: 5 | 243 runs at 48.60, SR 79, HS: 79, 2 fifties
Iyer followed his two fifties with 45 and 48 in tricky chases in the knockouts. He has been as consistent as anyone in the competition, but India could have done with him staying until the end in one of the four chases. Once he overcomes that, there will be no stopping him.
Shubman Gill: 7.5/10
M: 5 | 188 runs at 47.00, SR 76, HS: 101*, 1 hundred
Gill’s tournament numbers are slightly propped by that unbeaten hundred against Bangladesh, but he did well against Pakistan as well as in the final (no one should be blamed for being caught by Glenn Phillips). However, he missed that one truly memorable innings.
Axar Patel: 8/10
M: 5 | 109 runs at 27.25, SR 74, HS: 42 | 5 wickets at 39.20, Ec 4.35, BBI: 2-43
Axar took to batting at No.5 like a fish to water. One of India’s best and most flexible batters against spin across formats, Axar eased into the role, also breaking the right-handed monotony of the top order. That economy rate is remarkable for someone who bowled 45 overs in five matches.
Ravindra Jadeja: 7/10
M: 5 | 27 runs at 27.00, SR 100, HS: 16 | 5 wickets at 36.60, Ec 4.35, BBI: 2-40
Jadeja bowled three overs fewer than Axar and had near-identical tournament figures. As a batter, he was more of an emergency cushion at No.8. As with the 2024 T20 World Cup, the significance of the latter role was not fully used, but it may be, some day.
Hardik Pandya: 6/10
M: 5 | 99 runs at 24.75, SR 100, HS: 45 | 4 wickets at 35.75, Ec 5.83, BBI: 2-31
Pandya did a decent job when he had to step up as the second seamer for the last three games. With the bat, his most impactful innings, a 24-ball 28 where he hit Adam Zampa for consecutive sixes, came in the semi-final.
Mohammed Shami: 7/10
M: 5 | 9 wickets at 25.88, Ec 5.68, BBI: 5-53, 1 five-for
A month and a half ago, there were speculations around Shami’s future. He came into the tournament with one ODI in the last 15 months, and started with five wickets against Bangladesh. There were three more in the semi-final as well, on a pitch where spinners outdid pacers.
Kuldeep Yadav: 8/10
M: 5 | 7 wickets at 31.85, Ec 4.79, BBI: 3-40
Kuldeep bowled well without the one memorable spell – until the final, that is, when he turned the match into India’s favour by taking out Rachin Ravindra and Kane Williamson inside his first eight balls. The two blows definitely pushed New Zealand’s onslaught back by a few overs, eventually costing them the match.
Also read: India's spin fab four outplays New Zealand in attack & defence
Harshit Rana: 6/10
M: 2 | 4 wickets at 15.25, Ec 3.79, BBI: 3-31
The wrong-place-wrong time cliche will not be wasted on Rana, who was dropped despite returns of 3-31 and 1-30 – for India had a better option. His time will come.
Varun Chakravarthy: 9/10
M: 3 | 9 wickets at 15.11, Ec 4.53, BBI: 5-42, 1 five-for
The man Harshit had to make way justified his last-minute pre-tournament inclusion to the squad as well as the mid-tournament addition to the XI. In both matches, Varun troubled the New Zealand batters, who struggled to pick him. In between, he took out Travis Head first ball.
