Dubai, March 9, 2025 – Ravindra Jadeja turned back the clock and rewrote history today, smashing a match-winning boundary to secure India’s third Champions Trophy title with a nail-biting four-wicket win over New Zealand in the 2025 final. The all-rounder’s heroics—finishing unbeaten on 9* with a crisp four off Will O’Rourke in the 49th over—didn’t just end a thrilling chase of 252; they exorcised the lingering pain of the 2017 final, where his mistake had left Hardik Pandya stranded and India heartbroken.
𝗖. 𝗛. 𝗔. 𝗠. 𝗣. 𝗜. 𝗢. 𝗡. 𝗦! 🇮🇳🏆 🏆 🏆
The Rohit Sharma-led #TeamIndia are ICC #ChampionsTrophy 2025 𝙒𝙄𝙉𝙉𝙀𝙍𝙎 👏 👏
Take A Bow! 🙌 🙌#INDvNZ | #Final | @ImRo45 pic.twitter.com/ey2llSOYdG
— BCCI (@BCCI) March 9, 2025
Eight years ago, in the 2017 Champions Trophy final against Pakistan, India’s collapse to 180 runs short was a collective failure, but one moment stung deepest. Pandya, then a fiery 23-year-old, had waged a lone battle, smashing 76 off 43 balls—six sixes raining down as he kept faint hopes alive at 54/5. With 83 needed off 60 balls, Jadeja, batting with him, misjudged a call. A hesitant prod turned into a fatal mix-up, and Pandya was run out for a desperate dive, courtesy of Jadeja’s error. India folded for 158, and the image of Pandya walking off, head bowed, became a symbol of what could have been.
Today, Jadeja flipped the script. Chasing 252 on a tricky Dubai track, India stumbled to 245/6, needing 11 off 15. Pandya, now a seasoned finisher, had fought valiantly again with 41 off 32 before falling to Kyle Jamieson, silencing the crowd. Enter Jadeja at No. 8. Partnering KL Rahul (33*), he stayed cool, nudging singles before unleashing that final four past deep square leg to spark delirium. Earlier, his 1/30 in 10 overs—dismissing Tom Latham—had choked New Zealand’s middle order, restricting them to 251/7 despite Daryl Mitchell’s 63 and Michael Bracewell’s 53*. Spinners Varun Chakaravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav (2 wickets each) laid the groundwork, but Jadeja stole the spotlight.
Captain Rohit Sharma, Player of the Match for his 76, praised Jadeja: “He’s our crisis man—2017 haunted him, but today he showed his steel.” For Jadeja, this wasn’t just a trophy—it was atonement, a debt repaid to Pandya and a nation, sealed with one perfect swing.
