The 12 months 2025 etched itself into Indian cricket folklore because the Males in Blue lifted their third ICC Champions Trophy, defeating New Zealand by 4 wickets in a nerve-jangling ultimate on the Dubai Worldwide Cricket Stadium on March 9. For a workforce nonetheless carrying the scars of the heartbreaking 2023 ODI World Cup ultimate loss to Australia, this was redemption at its sweetest—a long-awaited ICC ODI title that restored perception and pleasure.
Captain Rohit Sharma set the tone with a superb 76 off 83 balls, anchoring the chase with calm authority. Shreyas Iyer’s useful 48 and KL Rahul’s unbeaten 34 added essential help, whereas Ravindra Jadeja’s composure within the dying overs ensured India crossed the road with one over to spare. It was a victory that meant greater than numbers—it was about resilience, therapeutic previous wounds, and proving as soon as once more that India thrives on the large stage.
Rishabh Pant captures unfiltered pleasure after Champions Trophy 2025 triumph
Months after the win, India’s 79th Independence Day on August 15 introduced followers an surprising deal with from Rishabh Pant. The wicketkeeper-batter launched uncommon behind-the-scenes footage capturing the uncooked feelings contained in the dressing room moments after India sealed the trophy. Shot on Pant’s personal handheld system, the video supplied a glimpse of the aspect followers by no means get to see—cricketers not as icons however as teammates overwhelmed by pure pleasure.
Rohit, usually the image of composure, was seen leaping with delight earlier than dashing to hug his gamers. Shubman Gill erupted in ecstatic celebration, whereas Mohammed Shami, Jadeja, Virat Kohli, and Hardik Pandya joined within the raucous cheers. The spotlight got here when Rohit, together with his trademark humor, quipped to Pant, “What? Ought to I retire each time we win?”—a line that despatched the room into laughter and completely captured the workforce’s camaraderie. It was greater than a celebration; it was a uncommon, unguarded peek into the guts of Indian cricket.
Right here’s the video:
Glad Independence Day, India. 🇮🇳
Some moments stick with you perpetually and profitable for India is on the prime of the listing. Proud to be Indian.#RP17 📷🕶️ pic.twitter.com/pfgr1tg7da— Rishabh Pant (@RishabhPant17) August 15, 2025
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Pant’s Independence Day tribute for Indian cricket followers
Pant’s choice to share the footage on Independence Day added one other layer of emotion. Alongside the video, he wrote: “Glad Independence Day, India. Some moments stick with you perpetually, and profitable for India is on the prime of the listing. Proud to be Indian.”
This win wasn’t merely about lifting a trophy. It cemented India’s dominance in world cricket—23 wins out of 24 matches throughout the final three ICC tournaments since 2023 is a staggering file by any measure. The ultimate itself was a workforce effort: New Zealand had posted a combating 251/7, however India’s spinners, Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav, utilized the brakes within the center overs to maintain the goal in attain. Within the chase, whereas Rohit laid the platform, it was Rahul and Jadeja’s ice-cool nerves that sealed the second of future.
Undefeated all through the event, India repeated the historical past to win the Champions Trophy with out dropping a single sport. Twelve years after their 2013 triumph, the Males in Blue had not solely reclaimed the crown but additionally gifted the nation a cricketing reminiscence that may dwell perpetually.
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