On March 9, India defeated New Zealand to win the 2025 International Cricket Council (ICC) Champions Trophy.
The Indian cricket fanbase went crazy.
If your soul didn’t leave your body at least once during the game, did you watch it? The final was the match that had you pacing in your house and biting your nails.
Let’s be honest: November 19, 2024, déjà vu was clouding our heads. The scars of that heart-wrenching World Cup final loss to Australia were still open.
The script was too familiar: dominant tourney campaign, a final with a good side and that pinging fear that history would repeat itself.
But this time, history had other plans.
The Heart-Stopping Start
The run chase of 252 started nicely. Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill were dominating. Then suddenly, when we were getting settled, Virat Kohli got out.
I swear, my heart skipped a beat. For an instant, I could hear all the Indian fans at once screaming, ‘Not again. NOT AGAIN.’ I wasn’t ready for any more trauma.
Kohli later talked about it with Firstpost and said, “It’s been amazing, we wanted to bounce back after a tough Australia tour.”
Enter the Hitman. Sharma sustained the innings with a crucial 76 and Gill attempted the perfect second fiddle.
“For the most time, I sat back and enjoyed Rohit’s batting. He told me it doesn’t matter how the scoreboard gap is, the aim was to bat till the end,” Gill told Firstpost after the match.
But as any Indian fan would tell you, we never do tension-free runs.
As soon as Rohit was out, panic had struck.
Wickets started falling. The pressure was suffocating and I couldn’t help but recall another horrific scenario: is this the last time we see Kohli and Rohit in an ICC final?
Then, in a moment caught up on the stump mic, Rohit said to Kohli in Hindi: “Brother, we’re not retiring; they just think so.”
I don’t know about you, but I sighed in relief. For a moment, the fear of retirement was gone.
The Winning Moment
At 15 needed off 12, KL Rahul was the hope. And boy, was he under pressure.
“Not sure I can say this on air, but I was shitting myself. As confident as I could be that I could get over the line. Keeping composure is all that matters, happy to have done it this time,” said Rahul after the game.
When he finally blasted the winning runs, the stadium erupted. My voice? Gone. The Indian streets were filled with fireworks, horns and utter pandemonium.
The final flourish, Jadeja’s four closed it all.
As the ball raced to the boundary, the celebrations started. I screamed.
“That is how it is with me; sometimes a hero, sometimes a zero. The wicket was not easy for a new batter,” said Jadeja after the win.
Kane Williamson stood quietly, soaking in another ICC heartbreak. You couldn’t help but feel for the man. So much talent, so much class and another final loss.
Cricket can be beautiful but can also be cruel.
From despair in 2023 to euphoria in 2025 — what a roller coaster.
The parties of victory are over, but the cricket fever isn’t. For a minute, we were all together, screaming for Team India.
We’re back to splitting ourselves. Royal Challengers Bangalore fans here, Sunrisers Hyderabad fans there, Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians, it’s a party of 10 teams, Indian Premier League.
That’s the magic of cricket, isn’t it? One day we’re screaming “INDIA, INDIA!” The next, we’re fighting about whether Kohli or Dhoni is the G.O.A.T. The drama never ends.
And so here we are — Champions Trophy winners. Another ICC trophy in the bag. And all we can think about is the next match, the next tournament, the next rollercoaster ride.
This is cricket. This is India and this is why we adore the game.
