New Delhi: In India’s four-wicket victory over New Zealand in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy final, skipper Rohit Sharma led from the front with a scintillating knock, before Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, and an unbeaten K.L. Rahul chipped in to guide the team past the 252-run target. Of course, the spinners had done their bit in the first innings itself.
For a team that was crowned champions, and that too without losing a single match, the result is a relief for cricketers, especially for skipper Rohit Sharma as well as coach Gautam Gambhir. Under Rohit Sharma, the team clinched two International Cricket Council (ICC) tournaments back-to-back—the 2024 T20 World Cup in Barbados, and the 2025 Champions Trophy in Dubai.
But, the scenario was not completely different as recently as January. Criticism flew thick and fast, as India failed to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the first time since 2015. The warning signs were already there following the team’s 3-0 Test whitewash by New Zealand in November last year. But, the dip had started three months earlier when India lost the One Day International (ODI) series to Sri Lanka after 27 years.
The latest win, surely, comes as a balm for Indian spectators who still can’t forget the gut-wrenching loss to Australia in the final of the 2023 World Cup.
While the turnaround has been a reason for celebration for the team and its fans, it’s also marked redemption for its individuals who had faced a slump in form, criticism, and challenges. ThePrint looks at the redemption arc of some of these cricketers, some of them who often go un-sung amid the euphoria.
Redemptive Rahul
K.L Rahul’s career has been a kaleidoscope of twists and turns. Without a fixed batting number, he’s often been deployed as a floater—open the innings or finish out games, both challenging situations. Tasked with donning the wicketkeeping gloves, backed as captain, and then dropped from the Test side, Rahul has faced criticism for his consistency.
The debate about Rishabh Pant’s potential as a preferred option, offering a left-handed middle-order bat, had been ongoing. But Rahul has answered all, with his performances speaking louder than words.
He proved to be the linchpin for India in two high-pressure games, the semi-final against Australia and the final against New Zealand. When the semi-final seemed to be slipping away after Virat Kohli’s dismissal, Rahul held his nerve, staying unbeaten on 42 runs to play a crucial knock that steered India to victory.
With the same nerves of steel, he carried his momentum into the final, producing a winning cameo of unbeaten 34 runs. However, he has acknowledged that these nerves weren’t always as steady. Rahul has spoken about his regret over not accelerating his innings of 66 runs from 107 deliveries during India’s loss to Australia in the 2023 ICC World Cup final, a disappointment that now seems like a distant memory.
“I don’t think I can say this on camera, but I was s****ing myself at the end. But we still had a couple of batters to come, so I was confident that we could get over the line,” he said in a pot match conference.
Spring in Shreyas’ step
Shreyas Iyer’s struggles against short-pitched deliveries are no secret. Teams deliberately target him with bouncers to dismiss him cheaply. Just as he was working to overcome this weakness and refine his game, a recurring back injury hindered his progress. Despite a stellar performance in the 2023 World Cup, where he scored 530 runs, injuries forced him out of the team. The setbacks continued, as he missed out on a BCCI annual contract and was omitted from the T20 World Cup squad in 2024.
Not only has Iyer made a comeback, he’s made a resounding return to the top. Recovering from injury and getting ready just in time for the Indian Premier League (IPL), he captained KKR to victory in the 2024 season. He had a successful domestic season with the Mumbai team that won their 42nd Ranji title.
In India’s blue jersey, he’s ever since let his performances do the talking for him—a much better player, particularly against the short deliveries that once troubled him, topped with his prowess as a batter against spin.
Iyer emerged as the backbone of the Indian middle order throughout the Champions Trophy campaign. He averaged 48.60 and had four 40-plus scores in five matches, including a couple of fifties, as he became the rescuer as well as an enforcer in the middle-order.
Skipper Rohit Sharma aptly described Shreyas Iyer as a “silent hero” after his consistent performances in the Champions Trophy. Iyer’s returns of 15, 56, 79, 45, and 48 runs saw him break the record for most runs by a No. 4 batter in a single edition, with 243 runs, surpassing Damien Martyn’s 241 runs in 2006.
Full circle for Chakaravarthy
Varun Chakaravarthy’s ‘mystery spinner’ reputation didn’t translate to success in the 2021 ICC T20 World Cup. India exited the tournament at the group stage under Virat Kohli’s captaincy, and Chakaravarthy was later dropped from the team.
Former Indian bowling coach Bharat Arun reflected on Chakaravarthy’s 2021 T20 World Cup experience, saying, “He definitely looked a bit overawed. He was scared of even telling Virat Kohli what field setting he wanted. He ended up bowling to the field given to him.”
From looking ‘overawed’ to being India’s joint highest wicket-taker in the Champions Trophy with 9 wickets, Chakaravarthy’s journey has been remarkable. Initially left out of the squad, he was later included, amidst criticism over Team India’s selection of five spinning options.
However, as it stands, it turned out to be a “masterstroke” in the words of former Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan.”I really like the shift they made to bring in an extra spinner, Varun Chakravarthy. That has been a game-changer and was a great call by the captain and coaches,” Dhawan said.
A vital cog: Axar Patel
India’s prayers for a left-handed middle-order batter, who can provide stability with the ball as a sixth bowling option, seems to have been answered with Axar Patel’s emergence. He shares the responsibility with star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja. Axar played a pivotal role in India’s back-to-back ICC tournament wins, consistently making effective contributions to help the team gain a stronger foothold.
Axar’s impact transcends numbers. During India’s T20 World Cup win, he showcased his versatility, batting in four different positions. Key performances included a crucial 20 runs off 18 balls on a challenging New York surface, a game-changing 47 runs off 31 balls in the final against South Africa, and 3/23 in the semi-final to oust defending champions England.
The cricketer’s abilities earned him a consistent run at number 5 in the Champions Trophy, a move that paid off. His promotion was backed by successive coaching staff, with Rahul Dravid moving him up the order in the World Cup final in Barbados, and Gautam Gambhir recognising his value and taking it forward, even ahead of K.L. Rahul, who averaged 56.48 at that position.
Axar made valuable contributions in the Champions Trophy, creating memorable moments, including an almost-hat-trick against Bangladesh. His crucial 42-run innings, which formed a 98-run partnership with Shreyas Iyer, rescued India from early trouble at 30/3 inside seven overs against New Zealand in their group stage encounter.
He came again providing stability at a crucial juncture when Iyer got out and India needed 131 runs against Australia in the semi-final. He went on to play a vital cameo of 27 runs and built a partnership with Virat Kohli on the other end.
A similar script followed as Axar didn’t disappoint again in the final match. India were 122/3, still requiring 130 runs, when he joined hands with Iyer to stitch a solid partnership of 61 runs and scoring another crucial cameo of 29 runs.
Suitable notables
Not only did the players face backlash and make a remarkable resurgence, but head coach Gautam Gambhir also faced intense scrutiny. He was widely trolled, with some fans accusing him of favouring KKR players by selecting Varun Chakaravarthy and Harshit Rana. However, his decisions ultimately proved spot on, culminating in his first ICC trophy as Indian coach.
Indian pacer Mohammad Shami made a stellar comeback in the Champions Trophy, coming back strong off an injury, and ultimately winning his first ICC trophy of his career. He was an integral part of various Indian squads that came close but never won an ICC tournament during the 10-year hiatus.
Although conditions in Dubai, where India played all their matches, didn’t quite favour his style, Mohammad Shami still managed to pick up 9 wickets. His most impressive performance came against Bangladesh, where he claimed 5/53 in his first ICC event game back after injury, marking his return back to the highest level.
While these players have made notable mentions in the story, it doesn’t take away from the fact that it was a complete team effort, with everyone performing and coming through. Kohli echoed this sentiment in the post-match presentation after India won the Champions Trophy. “Everyone has stepped up at some point during this tournament, and that’s what makes this Indian team so formidable,” he said.
(Edited by Tony Rai)