Indian captain Rohit Sharma created history by becoming the first skipper ever to lead his team to the finals of all ICC tournaments, following India’s four-wicket victory over Australia in the ICC Champions Trophy semifinal. With this, India has become the first team to reach five Champions Trophy finals, surpassing all other nations.
Gambhir Praises Rohit’s Impactful Batting
Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir lauded Rohit’s aggressive approach, stating that his high strike rate sends a “good signal” to the dressing room.
“If your captain bats with such a tempo, it just gives a very good signal to the dressing room that we want to be absolutely fearless and courageous. You evaluate from the runs; we evaluate from the impact,” Gambhir said in the post-match press conference.
While Rohit has scored 104 runs in four matches at an average of 26.00 and a strike rate of 107.21, his role as an aggressor in the powerplay overs has been crucial. In the semifinal against Australia, he contributed 28 runs off 29 balls, including three fours and a six.
Rohit’s Historic Captaincy Record
Since taking over full-time captaincy in February 2022, Rohit Sharma has guided India to the finals of every ICC tournament, an unprecedented feat. Under his leadership, India reached:
🏆 ICC World Test Championship Final 2023
🏆 ICC Cricket World Cup Final 2023
🏆 ICC T20 World Cup Final 2024 (Winners)
🏆 ICC Champions Trophy Final 2025
Match Summary: India vs Australia
Australia Bat First: 264 All Out (49.3 Overs)
- Top Scorers:
- Alex Carey – 61 (57 balls, 8 fours, 1 six)
- Steve Smith – 52 (61 balls, 5 fours)
- Travis Head – 39 (33 balls, 4 fours, 2 sixes)
- Top Indian Bowlers:
- Mohammed Shami – 3/48
- Varun Chakravarthy – 2/49
- Ravindra Jadeja – 2/40
- Axar Patel & Hardik Pandya – 1 wicket each
India’s Run Chase: 267/6 (48.1 Overs)
- Key Batting Contributions:
- Virat Kohli – 84 (Match-winning knock)
- Shreyas Iyer – 45 (91-run partnership with Kohli)
- KL Rahul – 42* (34 balls, 2 fours, 2 sixes)
- Axar Patel – 27 (30 balls, 1 four, 1 six)
- Hardik Pandya – 28 (24 balls, 1 four, 3 sixes)
- Top Australian Bowlers:
- Nathan Ellis – 2/48
- Adam Zampa – 2/60
With this commanding performance, India now awaits the winner of New Zealand vs South Africa in the Champions Trophy Final.