“We don’t want to play them in the final” - Kuldeep Yadav recalls India’s 2025 Champions Trophy win

Team India spinner Kuldeep Yadav has admitted how the squad wanted to face Australia in the 2025 Champions Trophy semi-final, instead of the summit clash given their track record. The two heavyweights in international cricket came face-to-face in the knockout fixture where the Men in Blue prevailed by four wickets, thereby eliminating Australia from the competition.

India topped Group A after three consecutive wins, while Australia had to settle for second place in Group B due to two of their matches being washed out due to rain. The Men in Yellow, despite a depleted squad, presented a strong challenge for India. They posted 264 runs on the board before a Virat Kohli masterclass (84 off 98) ended their campaign then and there.

Kuldeep Yadav recalled how India were glad to face Australia in the semi-final instead of the final, with the defeats in the 2023 World Test Championship (WTC) Final and the 2023 ODI World Cup Final still intact in memory.

"I had Hernia surgery in November, so it was difficult to come back and find the same rhythm. I personally believe that it was a good tournament for us. We wanted to face Australia in the semi-final, we don't want to play them in the final. It's a totally different pressure. Much better to play them in the semifinal rather than in the finals," Kuldeep Yadav said on Beyond 23 Cricket Podcast.

India went on to defeat New Zealand in the 2025 Champions Trophy final at the Dubai International Stadium to be crowned champions for the third time.

"The BCCI got strict as well" - Kuldeep Yadav on Team India's 2024-25 BGT series loss

The Indian spinner reflected on the pressure and the expectations that come with the cap, and highlighted how a single series loss caused mayhem in Indian cricket.

Team India needed a landmark performance on Australian soil to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and remain alive in the race for the World Test Championship (WTC) Final. However, the Men in Blue lost the five-match series by a 3-1 margin, with controversies of varied nature marring the campaign altogether.

"We lost the series against Australia, and there was a lot of media attention, and the BCCI got strict as well. You have to be on your toes every series, and that's how it works here in India. You can't take your place in the team for granted, because there are so many players coming up," Kuldeep Yadav said via the aforementioned source.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) were far from pleased with the team's display. It led to a widespread reform in the form of strict guidelines pertaining to increased importance to domestic cricket and restriction of family members on tour, among others.