New Delhi: India will take on New Zealand in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy final Sunday (9 March) at the Dubai International Stadium.
The two sides previously met in the group stage last Sunday, where Rohit Sharma’s team secured a 44-run victory against the Kiwis.
This will be India’s fifth appearance in a Champions Trophy final—the most by any team in the tournament’s history.
As the highly anticipated title clash approaches, ThePrint revisits India’s performances in past Champions Trophy finals.
2000: a close call
Held in Nairobi, Kenya, the 2000 edition marked India’s first final of Champions Trophy.
Despite setting a target of 264 runs—Sourav Ganguly’s 117 runs (130 balls) and Sachin Tendulkar’s 69 (83)—the Indian side lost to Kiwis by 4 wickets.
India’s bowling attack was comprehensive with Venkatesh Prasad picking three wickets and Anil Kumble scalping two. However, they failed to stop Chris Cairns, whose unbeatean century 102 runs off 113 balls led the Kiwis to their maiden ICC trophy.
2002: shared glory
The 2002 Champions Trophy in Sri Lanka saw India co-sharing the trophy with the host nation.
Rain played spoilsport in both attempts to complete the final, leading to the decision to declare both teams as joint winners.
This edition is remembered for the emergence of swashbuckling opener Virender Sehwag and the consistent performances of Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid.
2013: triumph in England
Team India’s victory in the 2013 Champions Trophy marked a significant turnaround for Indian cricket.
Held in England, India entered the tournament with a young squad under the leadership of the country’s greatest captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. The team displayed exceptional skills, remaining unbeaten throughout the tournament.
In the final against England, a rain-affected match saw India defend a modest total of 129 runs in 20 overs, with Ravindra Jadeja’s all-round performance—33 not out (25) and 2/24—earning him the ‘Player of the Match’ award.
Shikhar Dhawan was awarded ‘Player of the Series’ for piling up 363 runs in the tournament.
2017: a bitter defeat
The 2017 edition, also in England, saw India entering as defending champions.
The team performed admirably, reaching the final to set up a high-octane clash against arch-rivals Pakistan.
However, the final turned out to be a one-sided affair, with Pakistan outplaying India in all departments to win their maiden Champions Trophy title.
With opener Fakhar Zaman’s century 114 (106) along with Mohammed Hafeez and Azhar Ali’s half centuries, Pakistan had set a humongous total of 338 runs.
Fast bowler Mohammad Amir (3/16) and medium-fast bowler Hasan Ali (3/19) led the bowling attack, and India’s chase fell like a pack of cards. Hardik Pandya was the top scorer for the side with 76 runs.
Pakistan lifted the ICC Champions Trophy for the first time as it won the final by 180 runs.
This defeat was a significant setback, prompting introspection within the Indian cricketing fraternity.
2025?
In the ongoing Champions Trophy campaign, India has once again demonstrated its dominance. In the recent semi-final against Australia, India chased down the target of 265 runs with 11 balls to spare.
Virat Kohli’s masterful innings of 84 runs anchored the chase, with valuable contributions from Shreyas Iyer (45) and K.L. Rahul (42 not out).
The bowlers, particularly the spinners, played a crucial role in restricting Australia, highlighting India’s all-round strength.
It will be interesting to see whether India end their Champions Trophy 2025 campaign undefeated or will New Zealand bounce back and walk away with the win.
(Edited by Radifah Kabir)
Also Read: How Kohli, KL Rahul & Co scripted Australia’s ICC exit