"Cometh the hour, cometh the man"- Netizens laud Rohit Sharma’s composed knock in IND vs NZ 2025 Champions Trophy final

Rohit Sharma saved his best for the last and played a sensible knock in the final of the 2025 Champions Trophy against New Zealand to provide his side with a perfect start. Team India were handed a 252-run target by the Kiwis as they squared off at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

Walking out to open the innings for India in the high-octane encounter, the skipper went all guns blazing, thereby getting to his half-century in 41 deliveries. Rohit scored a major chunk of runs in the first powerplay as India’s scoreboard after 10 overs read 64/0, with Rohit scoring 49 of those runs.

While it took time for Gill to get going, he joined the party soon as the duo completed a 100-run opening partnership in 17 overs, with the 37-year-old captain contributing 68 runs.

India’s dominance with the bat was visible, as New Zealand had lost three wickets inside the first 15 overs of their innings, and in contrast, the Indian openers remained intact on the field in that duration.

Here’s how fans on X reacted to Rohit Sharma’s knock:

"A man carrying the burden of 1.4 billions hope and dream at his shoulder. This is the captain Rohit Sharma at the finals," wrote a fan.

"Absolute gorgeous inning on this pitch from Captain Rohit Sharma. Ending was hurtful," wrote another

Hated by many, defeated by none. This is the peak madness batting by Captain Rohit Sharma in the finals," commented another fan.

Rohit’s knock of 76(83) included 7 fours and 3 sixes as he batted at a strike rate of 92. After the dismissals of Gill and Virat Kohli, the Indian skipper’s pace of scoring slowed down as he struggled to score runs. He was eventually dismissed by Rachin Ravindra in the 27th over.

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Rohit Sharma became the first captain to lead a team to four consecutive ICC finals

As India made their way into the final after beating Australia in the semifinal, Rohit Sharma etched his name in history books, becoming the first captain to lead a side into four ICC tournament finals.

He first led India to the ICC World Test Championship final in 2023, and then to the summit clash of the ODI World Cup the same year, and the Men in Blue lost to Australia on both occasions. Rohit finally tasted success as he led India to victory in the T20 World Cup 2024.

The 2025 Champions Trophy, hence, marked a fourth consecutive ICC final appearance for Rohit Sharma and company.