Chasing 252, Rohit Sharma struck 76 with seven fours and three sixes to lay the foundation for the chase.
India skipper Rohit Sharma stressed that, while the 50-overs World Cup would always be his goal, winning the Champions Trophy on Sunday was no little achievement. India defeated New Zealand by four wickets in the final to win a record-breaking third Champions Trophy. Chasing 252, Rohit blasted 76 with seven fours and three sixes to lay the groundwork for the chase, and Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, Hardik Pandya, and KL Rahul all contributed with the bat to get the team over the line in Dubai. Despite rumors of his retirement, Rohit kept his best shot for the final.Rohit’s first 30-plus score of the tournament came after he failed to capitalise on a strong start in the previous four games.
“You definitely want to win each and every ICC tournament that comes your way. The One-Day World Cup is a one-day competition. We’ve grown up watching only that World Cup. We didn’t have many Champions Trophy or World Test Championships. That is why I said what I did previously. But this [carrying the Champions Trophy] is not any less. Arre aap, mujhse puucho kitna ‘WOH’ lagta hai jeetne. “(Ask me how much effort it takes to win this),” Rohit stated in a post-match press conference.Rohit dedicated the victory to the entire country and refused to downplay its significance.
“A trophy is what it is. We are quite proud when we win any final. And not only am I happy today, but the whole country is as well. Winning an event’s final is a big accomplishment. I have nothing more to say,” he said.
Laxmi Ratan Shukla, a former pacer for India, praised Rohit’s leadership after the final.”The victory was outstanding. We were all discussing how poor Rohit Sharma’s form was. He was leaving early, but I knew his form was good. He played carefully and helped India win the trophy yesterday. After Virat Kohli was dismissed early, the team’s balance became unbalanced, but the Indian hitters performed admirably to win the trophy,” Shukla told IANS on Monday.
“This victory will eliminate all of the criticism that followed the Test matches against Australia and New Zealand. In both his batting and captaincy roles, Rohit Sharma excelled. “It was an amazing team effort, and even though Virat Kohli wasn’t playing well, he chased well against Australia and Pakistan,” he continued.
Only after MS Dhoni has an Indian skipper won two or more ICC titles, and Rohit is the second. The only person to win all three of the ICC white-ball competitions is Dhoni.
