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Shreyas Iyer played in instrumental role in India's Champions Trophy 2025 title triumph. Rohit Sharma-led India toppled New Zealand by four wickets in the Champions Trophy 2025 final at the Dubai International Cricket stadium on March 9. With this India clinched their third Champions Trophy title which is the most by any team in the showpiece tournament. The Indian team's performance throughout the tournament was nothing short of spectacular, marked by an undefeated run throughout the tournament. They started their campaign by defeating Bangladesh, Pakistan, and New Zealand in the league stage, before securing a decisive win against Australia in the semi-final, setting the stage for the grand final against New Zealand.
Dilip Vengsarkar not happy with Shreyas Iyer
Shreyas Iyer emerged as a key figure in India's Champions Trophy success, enjoying a breakthrough season that saw him top the run-scoring charts for his team. His impressive tally of 243 runs in just five matches, achieved at an average of 48.60, underscored his consistency and skill. In the crucial final, Iyer contributed a vital 48-run innings, playing a key role in stabilising the Indian batting lineup after the early dismissals of Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, and Virat Kohli. Despite his crucial contribution, Iyer was unable to see the game through to its conclusion, falling with India still needing 69 runs for victory.
Legendary Indian cricketer Dilip Vengsarkar was full of praise for Shreyas Iyer's performance in the just-concluded Champions Trophy. However, Vengsarkar also expressed his dissatisfaction with the manner of Iyer's dismissal, as he wanted the star batter to score the winning runs.
“Iyer did very well but I am not happy [with] the way he got out in the final. He should have continued till the very end and finished the game. But happy to see him realise his potential," Vengsarkar told PTI.
Rahul's performance validated the team's faith in him, as he delivered crucial innings, particularly in the high-pressure semifinal and final matches. Notably, in the final, the team management made a tactical adjustment by promoting Axar Patel in the batting order, pushing Rahul further down. However, this decision did not sit well with former cricketer Vengsarkar, who voiced his disapproval of the move. Despite this altered batting order, KL Rahul remained composed and played a pivotal role in securing India's victory, finishing unbeaten with 34 runs off 33 balls, guiding the team to the championship title.
"KL too played a few important innings at number six but [I am] still not convinced [about] Axar Patel batting ahead of him at five. The left-hand right-hand combination could be the only reason," he added.
India's triumph in the recent ICC Champions Trophy marked their third title triumph in the prestigious tournament, and second back to back ICC title after T20 World Cup 2024 triumph.
