"I'm either a hero or a zero" - Ravindra Jadeja's cheeky reaction after hitting winning runs in 2025 Champions Trophy final against New Zealand 

Team India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja said that he bats at such a number in the one-day team that he has a chance to become either a hero or a zero. Reacting after hitting the winning runs in the 2025 Champions Trophy final against New Zealand, he stated that the victory matters a lot to him at this stage of his career.

India beat New Zealand by four wickets in a tense final in Dubai on Sunday, March 9. Batting first, the Kiwis managed only 251-7 in their 50 overs. In the chase, Team India got home in 49 overs, losing six wickets in the process. Skipper Rohit Sharma (76 off 83) got the team off to a great start, but New Zealand hit back with big wickets to reduce India to 122-3.

India, however, strung together some crucial partnerships in the middle-order before Jadeja (9*) came in and hit the winning runs, pulling Will O'Rourke for a boundary. Reflecting on the tense finish, Jadeja told Star Sports:

"My batting number is such that I'm either a hero or a zero at the end of the game. It was important that KL [Rahul] and Hardik [Pandya] did well in that partnership, them scoring runs was a game changing moment. The wicket wasn't easy going into batting at first."

In the past, the 36-year-old has been part of big tournaments in which India have fallen short of glory. He admitted that he's pleased to have won two ICC titles at the fag end of his career. Jadeja commented:

"It's an important tournament, playing for India and winning the Champions Trophy for the country is big, you do regret when you don't be part of winning teams after having played for so many years. But I'm lucky that I've managed to be fit enough and performed at the highest level in winning the two tournaments, the 2024 T20 WC and the Champions Trophy now."

After India slipped from a strong position in the 2025 Champions Trophy final, Shreyas Iyer (48 off 62), Axar Patel (29 of 40), KL Rahul (34* off 33) and Hardik Pandya (18 off 18) all chipped in to push the Men in Blue towards victory.

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Ravindra Jadeja answered critics with impressive performances in 2025 Champions Trophy

Heading into the 2025 Champions Trophy, there were some reports that Jadeja might not be picked for the ICC event. There were also rumors that the all-rounder might not be considered for India in the near future. Putting all speculations to rest, the seasoned cricketer came up with a highly efficient performance with the ball in hand.

While his batting skills were rarely needed, Jadeja picked up five wickets with his left-arm spin at an economy rate of 4.36. The 36-year-old registered figures of 2-40 in the semifinal against Australia and was economical with 1-30 in the final.