Champions Trophy 2025: Indian captain Rohit Sharma said that New Zealand is a very clinical team, and it was satisfying to beat them in the final on Sunday at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
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00:00Rohit, it is a joy to win, but cricket is a team game, and whoever played in this tournament,
00:07everyone contributed, so how big is the solution to that?
00:12See, if you want to win a tournament championship, then it is very important to contribute to everyone.
00:22There are some matches where you win on individual brilliance,
00:27but to win a tournament, it is very important for everyone to perform together.
00:34So, in this tournament, we saw that from the first match till now, all the boys have contributed.
00:42If you see from no. 1 to no. 11, the boys who got the chance to bat or bowl,
00:49they have contributed in their own way.
00:54So, eventually, when you all play together and a lot of people contribute,
01:04you get a lot of success consistently.
01:10So, I think we saw in the entire tournament that those who got the ball, they played their role.
01:16Those who got the chance to bat, they won the team.
01:23So, we didn't see that only one boy is making runs in the entire tournament.
01:27People have made their own small contributions.
01:30Because we knew that the wickets are a bit challenging here, so it won't be easy for everyone.
01:36So, in every way, from top to bottom, contribution is very important, which we did well.
01:43Rohit ji, firstly congratulations.
01:47There was a lot of talk during the tournament about KL Rahul's batting position.
01:52Do you feel that in the last two matches, he vindicated that position,
01:55he kept his cool and just anchored the innings?
01:59Yeah, look, when we discussed about KL's batting position,
02:03that is one thing we discussed quite deeply about how calm he is when he is batting.
02:11The pressure doesn't get to him.
02:14With that calmness, we wanted that calmness in the middle somewhere.
02:19And also, we wanted to use a left-hander in the middle.
02:22So, that actually worked out in both ways for us.
02:25KL, obviously, has been doing a lot of challenging work for the team for so many years now.
02:35And I am very, very happy with how he managed to pull this tournament
02:39and batted in the pressure situation, both in semi-finals and this game as well.
02:46The contribution may not be 70-80, but those 30-40s are very, very important ones.
02:52When you are chasing, run the ball at the back end, it can get tough, it can get difficult.
02:58But with KL being there, we know that he has got that mind where he keeps himself calm
03:04and keeps the dressing room also very calm.
03:07So, I am very happy with how he managed in this tournament
03:12and really happy for the contributions that he made for the team.
03:18Captain, in the final of 2024, Virat also scored 76.
03:22Today, you scored 76 as well.
03:24From both your standards, the start of the tournament last year was a little quiet,
03:28as you set the standard high.
03:30When you play such a knock in a big game, how much satisfaction did you get that you didn't get a personal?
03:36When you were hitting the sixes, you looked so angry that your game face was on.
03:42Talk about your knock, the way you reacted.
03:45No, look, I haven't done anything different today as I have been doing in the last 3-4 matches.
03:55I know how important it is to make runs in powerplay.
03:58Because we have seen, not in 1 or 2 games, but in 4 or 5 games,
04:03after 10 overs, it becomes very difficult when the field spreads and the spinners come.
04:08It becomes a little tough because the pitch is already slow and we are batting second.
04:14It has already become slow.
04:16So, on top of that, it is very important for you to take chances.
04:20And I don't think that I will bat like this or I will play like this.
04:26I pick the bowler and think about where I can charge him and where I can play the shot.
04:33I think about all this before I go.
04:36And in that, you may not see the consistency of a big run.
04:42But if I am very clear in my mind about what I have to do,
04:47then as long as I am very clear, I think it is pretty much okay.
04:52Today, you saw, after 10 overs, I changed my game a little.
04:55I wanted to play long.
04:57But I went to force a little on them and I got out of it.
05:03But again, you get a lot of happiness when you win a match.
05:10And if you have a contribution in it, it feels even better.
05:14So, I have made a lot of contributions in the 2019 World Cup, but we did not win.
05:20So, there was no fun in it.
05:22Even if you make 30 or 40 runs and win the match, you get more satisfaction and happiness in it.
05:27So, I think it was very important for me to do something and contribute
05:33and keep the team in a position where there is a little comfort for the rest of the batting order.
05:51I mean, honestly speaking, someone was telling me in this ICC tournament,
05:58we have lost only one game in the last three ICC tournaments that we have played.
06:02So, it is a great, great milestone to have, honestly speaking.
06:07And that speaks what the kind of team this is.
06:10So, I know we did not win the World Cup, we lost that final.
06:15But then we went to T20 and not lost a single game and went on to win the trophy and here as well.
06:21So, it shows a lot of quality in the team, a lot of depth, a lot of understanding within the group,
06:27a lot of enjoyment, a lot of excitement.
06:29And that is how we want to play our cricket.
06:31And that is what we had spoken before the tournament began.
06:35We wanted to enjoy.
06:36There is too much pressure from the outside.
06:39One game India loses or it goes here and there.
06:43There is so much speculation that happens.
06:45But the boys and the team have actually managed to put that aside
06:50and just focus on how to win games and how to enjoy the game.
06:54So, that has been the most important aspect of our game in the last two or three years that we have played.
07:02Barbados to Dubai.
07:05You know, what is that factor, especially the winning factor to be on the top of the world,
07:12especially in both the formats, what is it that?
07:15No, it's just, you know, the enjoyment of playing for India.
07:20You know, representing India is not a joke.
07:24Everyone wants to represent India with a lot of integrity and a lot of pride as well.
07:32So, that is what, you know, all of them go with that kind of, you know, prideness on the field.
07:41Results are bound to happen or results will go here and there at times.
07:48But I think the most important thing with this team that I have seen in the last three years is,
07:52you know, everyone understanding and doing what is required for the team.
07:56There has been a lot of shuffle in the batting order.
07:59Guys have been given different roles.
08:02Some of the, you know, match winners are not here.
08:07Guys like Bumrah, Siraj, who has done exceptionally well for us.
08:10But sometimes you got to pick the players who are suitable for the conditions.
08:16So, and that is the understanding we have, you know.
08:21It is frustrating for the guys who miss out.
08:25But again, we try and make those decisions just to make sure that, you know, we have enough depth,
08:32enough in our bowling, batting and the team is prepared to tackle any kind of situation that is thrown at us.
08:39Rohit bhai, when the 50 over world cup final happened in 2023, we were not able to win that final.
08:43But after that, you won two back-to-back ICC tournaments.
08:46So, from there, what lesson did you learn from the final that we won undefeated in these two finals?
08:51And now, because you have won T20 world cup as a captain, you have also won the ICC champions trophy.
08:55Now, what is your future plan?
08:58Let's see.
09:01Winning two ICC trophies is a great achievement for the team.
09:07And to go undefeated is again icing on the cake.
09:10I have seen very few teams playing in such a tournament that won both undefeated tournaments.
09:17For us, the most important thing was that we come here and do our preparation.
09:22We play what is in front of us.
09:25And we used the conditions well.
09:28And we won.
09:31Future plan?
09:33There is no future plan.
09:34Whatever is going on, will go on.
09:36From that final, what did you learn from these two finals?
09:38No, see, we lost the final in 2023, 50 over world cup.
09:45We played 9 games so well.
09:48So, with the same mindset, with the same intention, with the same game plan, we went to play in the final.
09:55So, there was nothing to learn from that.
09:57We made a few less runs.
09:59And they did a very good batting.
10:01Their three wickets fell on the 40th run.
10:03But we couldn't take wickets after that.
10:06So, because of that, we lost.
10:09But again, we talked about this thing that until the game is not over, don't leave it.
10:16So, when we played these two finals, we said that we have to stay in the game till 100 overs.
10:22And we have to take the game till the end.
10:25Congratulations, Rohit.
10:28You must be very happy today.
10:30Very happy.
10:31Out of the four, now coming back to the serious mode.
10:35Out of the four ICC tournaments, you have won two titles.
10:38And in the other two, you lost in the finals.
10:41To Australia and in the WDC.
10:44So, it shows that India is competing in all the formats with a very high standard.
10:50Because they are either winning the titles or going to the finals.
10:54How difficult it was to develop such a team over the period of so many years?
11:00No, it obviously, it's just not me.
11:02You know, a lot of the captains who have played before me,
11:05captained the team before me, a lot of credit goes to them as well.
11:08A lot of the coaches who have come before,
11:11Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid and all of these guys, you know,
11:15credit goes to everyone.
11:17India is a bloody good team, without a doubt.
11:20In the last three or four years, we managed to play finals of all ICC tournaments.
11:25So, I am really, really proud being a captain of this team.
11:31Because, you know, even though we didn't win the World Cup in 23,
11:37but to play the finals of all four trophies was really, really good
11:43and shows how consistent we are as a team as well.
11:47You lose one series here and there, it doesn't mean that the team is bad
11:51or things are not happening in the right, things are not going in the right direction.
11:55It happens, everybody is allowed to lose.
11:58And we lost a series in India against New Zealand, the Test series.
12:01But that happens, you know.
12:04It's like every time we take the field, we are meant to win everything.
12:08But that is not going to happen. This is a sport that we play.
12:11There are opposition who are also trying their best to beat us, you know.
12:16And you got to give credit to sometimes the opposition as well when they play good cricket.
12:21Not just look at the faults that we have.
12:24You know, sometimes you get beaten, sometimes you get outclassed by the opposition.
12:29And we got outclassed by the opposition in Australia and New Zealand.
12:33But that doesn't mean this team is bad.
12:35The last 3-4 years will show the kind of consistency this team has had.
12:42Captain, this 2024 West Indies campaign and this campaign,
12:47one thing that was similar was that the team was very relaxed.
12:50It felt like it was far away from the burden of expectations.
12:53That was one factor.
12:54And the second thing, you had said before the One Day World Cup
12:56that for you, the ICC World Cup means the One Day World Cup.
13:00You have won two, the T20 World Cup and this is the One Day World Cup trophy.
13:04Can you say the same about that?
13:06Or do you still feel that the One Day World Cup is the biggest thing?
13:09The tournaments that come before you in the ICC, you try to win them.
13:13One Day World Cup is One Day World Cup.
13:16Because when we were young, I said the same thing that
13:20we have been watching the 50-over World Cup since childhood.
13:22At that time, there was no T20 World Cup or Test Championships or ICC Champions Trophy.
13:30That's why I said at that time that for us, it is like the 50-over World Cup.
13:36But, there is no shortage in this.
13:44You ask me, how much does it take to win this?
13:47No, no, no.
13:48See, the trophy is a trophy.
13:50You win any finals, you feel a lot of pride.
13:54And not just me, the whole team, the whole nation must be feeling very happy today.
14:01Because winning any final tournament is a big achievement.
14:05So, that's all I will say.
14:09No, the atmosphere was very relaxed.
14:12I mean, we don't think about unnecessary things.
14:17We don't pay much attention to unnecessary things.
14:22Keeping the team's atmosphere good is a very big thing.
14:28In any tournament, you play.
14:30Anyway, there is a lot of pressure in the tournament.
14:32So, you try to relax.
14:34We have done a lot of team events.
14:36The atmosphere of the team was very good there.
14:39We enjoy a lot in the training sessions that we do.
14:43So, we have been trying for many years that the results should be up and down.
14:49But the atmosphere that we talk about, the dressing room,
14:54the happy dressing room that we talk about, we have to be consistent.
14:58So that the boys don't think too much about here and there.
15:02They stay clear in their roles and keep doing their work.
15:06Rohit, you spoke of the consistency for RICC finals so many years.
15:13So, how is it, how difficult it is to maintain that consistency?
15:18To stop, you know, from the team being stagnated.
15:22So, collective hunger.
15:24How to get that collective hunger from the entire team?
15:28No, look, guys.
15:29Guys in the squad are quite matured.
15:31And, you know, they want to make the most of their time playing for India.
15:36So, there is not too much work that is done there.
15:39You know, at the end of the day, you are representing your country.
15:43And everyone understands that.
15:45So, that is not where I come into play.
15:50My job is to make sure that whoever we pick to play,
15:53you know, gets the job done for the team.
15:58Like I said, there is a lot of hunger,
16:01you know, even for the guys who have played a lot of cricket.
16:04So, obviously, it rubs down to a lot of younger players as well.
16:10If they see some of their other senior members,
16:13you know, showing that hunger and going out there and doing the job again and again,
16:18it shows that this is how this team is built.
16:21And this is how we want to play our cricket.
16:23With a lot of hunger and a lot of passion.
16:25So, these things are not supposed to be taught.
16:28It is, you know, natural, very natural to a lot of guys.
16:32And luckily, you know, in the squad,
16:35we have got five or six guys who are real stalwart of this game.
16:38And then their attitude, their hunger, their passion,
16:41rubs down to the other guys as well.
16:43So, that makes the job a little easier for all of us.
16:49Yeah, Rohit, you and Shikhar Dhawan had a good hit as openers.
16:53More than 5000 runs.
16:55Popularly known as the Gabbar hitman opening pair.
16:58Now, it is happening with Chubban Gelu.
17:00Today was the seventh 100 plus stand.
17:02So, what is that you look forward to in your opening partner?
17:07The understanding, how long does it take for the rapport, actually?
17:10To build a partnership?
17:12No, it has been a while now since I have been batting with Gil.
17:16And he has got so much class about his batting.
17:20And then it is, in between for both of us,
17:24it is just about having that constant communication
17:27of how to take the game forward.
17:29And building that partnership.
17:32When we are batting together, obviously,
17:37both of us like to play shots.
17:41He likes to pierce the ground, pierce the field.
17:45And I like to go aerial.
17:46So, it actually works both ways.
17:49And works well for the team as well.
17:51Which is why there has been a lot of consistency in our partnership.
17:55And Gil, to be honest, understands his game really, really well.
18:01And he is a very, very good player for us.
18:05Over the years, you have seen how consistent he has been.
18:08And that is what matters.
18:11If you understand your game,
18:13and you have constant communication in the middle,
18:15that is about it.
18:19Roy, you obviously had difficult times personally
18:21against New Zealand in the Test Series you mentioned,
18:23and then Australia.
18:24How satisfying was it to take the trophy with the Indian crowd
18:28chanting your name at the end there?
18:30No, absolutely satisfying.
18:31I mean, look, New Zealand is a very, very steady team.
18:34There is no doubt about it.
18:36You see the ICC knockouts.
18:38New Zealand is there.
18:40And they are one of the consistent teams over the decade now.
18:45You know, maybe more.
18:48So, we have to be...
18:51We made sure that we are right up there with our skill set
18:56against that team.
18:57Because, you know, this is a very clinical team, New Zealand.
19:02And, you know, they understand their game really, really well.
19:05And they know how to play in big pressure games.
19:08So, very, very satisfying to beat them.
19:11Honestly, you know, and to get the result in our favor.
19:17Rohit, we have used the word consistent a lot
19:19in the last sort of 15 minutes or so.
19:21How satisfied are you with the consistency in selection
19:24and the fact that the same guys are available
19:26I think 10, 11 people were there in the 50-over World Cup
19:29one and a half years later.
19:30The fact that they are able to maintain those standards
19:33and the fitness, how much does that satisfy you?
19:35No, absolutely, very, very satisfying.
19:37Look, when you have a consistent run like that,
19:41you don't need to change too many things.
19:43I have a lot of trust in the guys who we picked for the 23 World Cup
19:48and the guys who we picked here as well.
19:50You know, like you said, the 10 or 11 players, same players,
19:54they didn't do anything wrong in the format that they played.
19:59They got the runs, they got wickets.
20:02But again, the conditions here were slightly different.
20:05So, we had to, you know, go with more spinners than the seamers.
20:10You know, in the World Cup, we had three spinners
20:12and four seamers and then Hardik.
20:15So, that was the combination we went.
20:18But we saw how much these surfaces were used before we came here.
20:22And I knew that the slower bowler will come into play.
20:25So, we wanted to pick the squad based on that.
20:28And then, again, like I said, I honestly feel for the guys
20:33who missed out on this selection for this team.
20:37But again, it was completely based on the conditions that we were going to play.
20:41Rohit Bhai, first of all, many congratulations on this great achievement.
20:47As a leader, as a captain, within nine months,
20:50winning two mega events for your country,
20:53who will you give credit to?
20:55And who will you dedicate today's victory, this Champions Trophy to?
20:59To the whole country.
21:01Because along with us, I know that our country,
21:05how much they were after us,
21:11that we do well, we win.
21:14So, I think, along with us, this trophy is for the whole country.
21:21When you win the finals of any tournament,
21:25and especially India, we know that
21:28wherever we play, we get good support.
21:31So, winning such a trophy makes the whole team so happy
21:39that we have done something for the country.
21:42And we will continue to do so.
21:44Whenever we get a chance, whenever we play,
21:48any tournament, any match,
21:50we always try to win the match.
21:53But how to win it, it depends on the planning.
21:57But again, this trophy is for the whole country.
22:04Rohit, you have always maintained that in white ball cricket,
22:07as a team, you want to play a certain brand of cricket,
22:09high risk, high gain.
22:10But these conditions were not exactly ideal.
22:12There were challenges.
22:13But what can you say about the way you overcame these challenges?
22:18For example, in a New Zealand match,
22:19three wickets are scored early,
22:20the middle order recovers from there.
22:21Throughout this tournament, we have seen this kind of performance.
22:24No, I have a very proud feeling about this on the team.
22:30Because we knew that the conditions would be difficult.
22:33But we have adapted quite well.
22:36If you look at all the games,
22:40even the first game against Bangladesh,
22:44I know it was only 230.
22:46But we knew that the wicket was a little slow.
22:49We will need partnerships.
22:52So the batsmen have made big partnerships.
22:56Not to forget the silent hero Shreyas Iyer,
23:00throughout the tournament was brilliant.
23:02He was very, very important in that middle phase for us.
23:05Stitched the partnerships with all the batters who were batting with him.
23:10That semi-final against Australia,
23:12with him and Virat at that point,
23:18was very, very important.
23:19And even against Pakistan and New Zealand,
23:23the league game that we played.
23:25And even today, to be honest,
23:27when I got out, our three wickets had fallen.
23:30And at that time, again, we needed a partnership of 50 to 70 runs,
23:34which these two and Shreyas did.
23:37So when such performances happen,
23:41when you understand the conditions and adapt them as soon as possible,
23:45it feels good.
23:46So that's why my work is less than it should be.
23:50I don't need to speak much because the boys understand what to do in the middle.
23:55And not to forget, we are talking about batting,
24:00but on such wickets, keeping the bowlers under 250,
24:04keeping the teams under 250,
24:06keeping them under 240 is also a big effort.
24:08Because we make it in our mind that the wicket is helping the spinners.
24:13But you must have seen that no ball has turned so much in the fifth match
24:18that the ball is turning every time, in every over.
24:20Sometimes one or two balls turn in the middle,
24:22but that is the challenge that you are facing as a batter.
24:25You don't have to be ready for the ball that is turning.
24:28You don't have to be ready for the ball that is coming straight,
24:30which is 80% out of 100 or 70%.
24:34You have to be ready for that.
24:35So I think that is the adaption.
24:37And that is what these guys have shown in the middle
24:39that this is how we want to adapt and play our game.
24:44One more thing, I am not going to retire from this format.
24:48Just to make sure that no rumours are spread moving forward.
24:53Okay guys, thank you so much.