Team India wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul admitted feeling nervous during the 2025 Champions Trophy final chase against New Zealand as wickets fell at crucial moments. However, he was delighted to see India through to victory.
On March 9 in Dubai, India defeated New Zealand by four wickets to claim their third ICC Champions Trophy title. Opting to bowl first, they restricted the Kiwis to 251/7. Skipper Rohit Sharma (76 off 83) set the foundation before Rahul (34* off 33) finished the chase.
Speaking to the host broadcaster post-match, Rahul acknowledged the tense moments towards the end and shared his thoughts. He said:
“I don’t think I can say this on camera, but I was s****ing myself at the end. But we still had a couple of batters to come, so I was confident that we could get over the line. But in moments like this and big games, it’s more about holding your composure, which we all know about. Yeah, happy to win this and happy to get over the line this time.”
https://x.com/starsportsindia/status/1898776450096050377?s=46
The 32-year-old mentioned facing similar situations in previous matches during the 2025 Champions Trophy and emphasized that those experiences helped him in the final. Sharing his emotions after the memorable victory, Rahul stated:
“It’s hard to put in words. But, yeah, it’s just pure skill and the way we’ve all played our cricket growing up. And, you know, where we’ve had to face a lot of challenges, we’ve had to face pressure from the time we held the bat and from the time we decided to be professional cricketers.”
KL Rahul played a vital knock, hitting a four and a six in his brief but crucial innings. He built a 38-run partnership with Hardik Pandya (18), sealing India’s victory over New Zealand.
KL Rahul’s Performance with the Bat in the 2025 Champions Trophy
Rahul was assigned the No. 6 spot in the Champions Trophy, while Axar Patel was promoted to No. 5. The strategy paid off for India, as the experienced batter delivered crucial performances, scoring 140 runs in four innings with an impressive strike rate of 97.90.
The right-hander played a vital unbeaten knock of 41 off 47 in India’s tournament opener against Bangladesh. He didn’t get to bat against Pakistan but contributed 23 off 29 in the final group match against New Zealand. Rahul then scored an unbeaten 42 off 34 in the semifinal against Australia before making a significant impact in the final.
Get the latest cricket news here, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more such updates.
