India captain Rohit Sharma was a frustrated figure during the first innings of the Champions Trophy final against New Zealand in Dubai on Sunday. The incident happened during the drinks break after the 15 overs, with New Zealand 83/3 after Kuldeep Yadav’s twin strikes. According to some social media, Rohit was about to give a pep talk to the team, and Shubman Gill was late to arrive at the scene. This led to a strong reaction from Rohit. However, Gill quickly rushed towards the team huddle after Rohit hurled a mouthful at someone.
The serious reaction of Captain Rohit Sharma during drinks break.#INDvsNZ
The proactive leader @ImRo45 pic.twitter.com/rkjGkP7i93
— (@rushiii_12) March 9, 2025
Rohit Sharma giving Pep Talk during drinks Break. #ChampionsTrophy2025 #INDvsNZpic.twitter.com/KM2BQcOe23
— JAIU (@Jaideepptdr) March 9, 2025
Rohit Sharma really got frustrated at vice captain Shubman Gill.
Rohit gathered everyone for a team huddle & stood in middle of it but he couldn’t find his Gill there & got really frustrated by it. Man who made this clown vice captain when Shreyas, Hardik are part of squad???? pic.twitter.com/D7OiSFv7FP
— Rajiv (@Rajiv1841) March 9, 2025
Gill got scolded by Rohit Sharmapic.twitter.com/tO4nC0Aj9D
— Vipin Tiwari (@Vipintiwari952) March 9, 2025
Meanwhile, Kuldeep Yadav produced a beauty first up to dismiss a dangerous Rachin Ravindra as Indian spinners reduced New Zealand to 135 for 4 after 30 overs.
The left-arm wrist spinner (2/25 in 6 overs) then removed opposition’s main batter Kane Williamson (11 off 14 balls) with a perfectly flighted delivery which stopped on him, enticing a simple return catch.
Enduring an underwhelming tournament thus far, Kuldeep, India’s most prolific ODI spinner in recent years, finally came to the party when it mattered.
Ravindra (37 off 29 balls) took on the Indian pacers, hitting four boundaries and a six to give his team momentum first up as Mohammed Shami and Hardik Pandya struggled to contain the run flow.
In fact, the opening stand of 57 between Ravindra and Will Young (15 off 23 balls) is the highest by any team against India in the tournament.
India’s trump card Varun Chakravarthy (1/21 in 3 overs) got one to straighten and catch Young plumb in-front while Kuldeep executed a perfectly pitched left-arm spinner’s googly which breached Ravindra’s defence.
He returned to get rid of Williamson.
Tom Latham (14) and Daryl Mitchell (32 batting) added 27 runs in a sedate fourth wicket stand before the left-hander tried to sweep a Ravindra Jadeja delivery on middle stump and missed it completely to be caught plumb in-front.
India (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy.
New Zealand (Playing XI): Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (wk), Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (c), Kyle Jamieson, William ORourke, Nathan Smith
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