India-dominates-NZ

Rohit Sharma says Chakravarthy’s game made their ‘good headache’ worse

 

Varun Chakravarthy Vinod, 33, in just his second ODI, etched his name on the record books by claiming a five-wicket haul against New Zealand in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
 
India’s bowling performance was led by a strong spin attack, taking 5 wickets for 42 runs (5-42 in 10 overs). The Indian spinners, including Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, and Ravindra Jadeja, played crucial roles in dismantling New Zealand’s batting lineup.
 
Rohit Sharma was happy as India pulled a 44-run victory over New Zealand in their final group-stage match in the ICC at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on March 2nd. After batting first, India scored 249/9, helped by contributions from Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, and Hardik Pandya. It was a slow start with Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli’s wickets.

 

What's the skipper saying

 

Rohit said India was not expecting to defend a low score against in-form New Zealand.

“Varun was exceptional today,” Rohit Sharma mentioned. “He’s been working hard on his variations and control, it showed. He bowled with great composure, especially under pressure. His ability to pick up crucial wickets in the middle overs was game-changing.”

New Zealander Matt Henry also rang a bell upon Rohit Sharma’s applause for Varun.

When he was asked about the semi-final clash with Australia, Rohit said, Momentum is critical in such a short game. We will try and win the game; try and do everything right. Mistakes happen, but correcting them is important. It is going to be a good game. Australia has a rich history of playing well in ICC tournaments. It will be about us doing things right. We have to be focused on what we need to do on that day. Looking forward to that, hopefully we can stitch one towards us.

 

Looking ahead… What’s next

 

India’s third win in a row finished on top of Group A, and they’ll face Group B runners-up Australia in the semi-finals on Tuesday. New Zealand will face South Africa in the semi-finals on Wednesday.

These semi-final matches will determine which two teams will advance to the final match scheduled for March 9, 2025.