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India's T20I captain, Suryakumar Yadav, hailed the Rohit Sharma-led side following their "inspiring" victory in the Champions Trophy final against New Zealand in Dubai on Sunday.
In a pulsating atmosphere where momentum swung like a pendulum, India, with ice in veins, chased down a competitive 252-run target to seal a four-wicket victory with an over to spare. After Ravindra Jadeja pulled the ball away for four, the Indian dressing room was overwhelmed by euphoria and jubilation. With "grit" and "determination," India proved its mettle and showed what it is truly capable of. "This team has shown the world what they are capable of. Truly inspiring. A perfect example of character determination and grit. Congratulations, Champions," Suryakumar told ANI on India's win against New Zealand in the ICC Champions Trophy. Captain Rohit broke the spine of New Zealand's 251-run defence with his rollicking 76(83). His childhood coach, Dinesh Lad, sent an emotional message and said his former pupil had given him his "second Guru Dakshina." "I have no words to speak, I have been giving interviews to news channels since morning that we are going to win. Rohit told me before leaving that we would win the Champions Trophy. He has given me this second Guru Dakshina," Dinesh told ANI. Coming to the final, New Zealand won the toss and opted to bat first. The Kiwis got off to a brisk start with a 57-run stand between Will Young (15) and Rachin Ravindra (37 in 29 balls, with four boundaries and a six). However, Kuldeep Yadav (2/40) applied some breaks and reduced NZ to 75/3. A 57-run stand between Daryl Mitchell (63 in 101 balls, with three fours) and Michael Bracewell pushed the Kiwis towards 150-plus runs. Bracewell played a fine hand of 53* in 40 balls, with three fours and two sixes, taking NZ to 251/7 in their 50 overs. Kuldeep (2/40) and Varun Chakravarthy (2/45) were India's top wicket-takers. Mohammed Shami also took a wicket but conceded 74 runs in his nine overs. During the thrilling run chase, India had a fine 105-run stand to start off things between skipper Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill (31 in 50 balls, with a six). While Gill, Virat and eventually Rohit (76 in 83 balls, with seven fours and three sixes) lost their wickets quickly, leaving India at 122/3, Shreyas Iyer (48 in 62 balls, with two fours and two sixes) and Axar Patel (29 in 40 balls, with a four and six) stitched a 61-run stand. After India lost Axar following the crossing of the 200-run mark, KL Rahul (34* in 33 balls, with a four and a six) and Hardik Pandya (18) did their job of taking India to the finishing line with six wickets and an over left. Michael Bracewell (2/28) and Mitchell Santner (2/46) were the top wicket-takers for NZ. (ANI)
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