Champions Trophy: Five Indians Feature in ICC's Tournament Team

Dubai, March 10 (NationPress) Title winners India showcased their dominance in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 with five players making it to the Team of the Tournament: Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, K.L. Rahul, Mohammed Shami, and Varun Chakaravarthy. India secured the Champions Trophy by defeating New Zealand by four wickets in the final, marking their third title and establishing themselves as the most successful team in the tournament's history.

Kohli, who emerged as India's second-highest run-scorer with 218 runs, achieved an unbeaten century against Pakistan and a crucial 84-run contribution against Australia in the semifinals. He also surpassed the milestone of 14,000 ODI runs, joining an elite group of players, including Sachin Tendulkar and Kumar Sangakkara.

Middle-order batsman Iyer was India's top scorer with 243 runs, featuring two consecutive half-centuries against Pakistan and New Zealand during the group stage. He played a significant role in the final with a vital 48 runs, maintaining his consistency with a minimum score of 45 runs throughout the tournament.

Wicketkeeper-batter Rahul proved dependable both behind the stumps and as a finisher, remaining unbeaten in three out of four innings. His contributions were key in critical knockout matches, scoring 42* and 34* against Australia and New Zealand, respectively.

Shami took nine wickets in the tournament, including a remarkable five-wicket haul against Bangladesh in the opening game. He continued his form in the semifinals and finals, claiming four wickets across those matches.

Chakaravarthy, India's mystery spinner, took nine wickets in three crucial encounters. Despite having played only one ODI prior to the Champions Trophy, he justified the selectors’ trust.

The ICC's Team of the Tournament also included all-rounder Axar Patel as the 12th player, who contributed with the ball, taking five wickets, and scored a total of 109 runs, including 29 runs in the final.

Alongside Indian players, New Zealand's captain Mitchell Santner, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, and Matt Henry were also recognized in the team. Additionally, Afghanistan's Ibrahim Zadran and Azmatullah Omarzai were included in the playing eleven.

Rachin finished as the tournament's highest run-scorer with 251 runs, including two centuries, and was awarded Player of the Tournament.

All-rounder Phillips contributed 177 runs, took two wickets, and made five catches, showcasing his skills as a dangerous batsman while demonstrating exceptional fielding, including a spectacular catch of Kohli in the final group match against India.

Santner’s leadership and bowling were outstanding throughout New Zealand's commendable campaign as they finished as runners-up, taking nine wickets with an economy rate of 4.80.

Kiwi pacer Henry, who missed the final due to a shoulder injury, excelled in the tournament, taking wickets in every match, notably taking 5-42 against India in the Group A decider.

Zadran highlighted his importance to Afghanistan's competitiveness by steering his team to a historic win over England with a remarkable 177 runs, setting the record for the highest individual score in the competition's history, finishing with 216 runs overall. Omarzai's contributions with both bat and ball were significant, and his 5-58 against England proved decisive as he lived up to the title of ICC Men's ODI Cricketer of the Year for 2024.