Who said what - top 5 expert reactions to India's triumph in 2025 Champions Trophy final ft. Sunil Gavaskar 

Team India became the first-ever three-time winners of the Champions Trophy after clinching the 2025 edition following a thrilling contest against New Zealand in the final at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday, March 9. The Men in Blue chased down the target with one over to spare, and ended the campaign unbeaten, marking their second consecutive ICC title triumph after the 2024 T20 World Cup.

Teams struggled to find a way against the formidable Indian outfit which has all the bases covered. Right from the in-form batter to the all-rounders to the four-pronged spin attack, India flexed their prowess throughout the campaign to be considered as a major threat.

While the majority of the talk in the lead-up to the clash was India's 'unfair advantage', the result of the contest has been praiseworthy regarding the team's display.

On that note, let us take a look at the top 5 expert reactions to India's triumph in the 2025 Champions Trophy final.

#1 Sunil Gavaskar

The former India opener branded India as the best white-ball side in the world on the back of their performances in recent ICC events. Gavaskar noted that after three consecutive finals, and two titles, all the talk of 'unfair' advantage is baseless.

"Without a question, any team that reaches all three finals, the 50-over final where they finished as runners-up, the T20 World Cup victory, and now the Champions Trophy must be considered the best white-ball team on the planet," Gavaskar told India Today.

“There's no doubt whatsoever. Cribbers might crib, as Gambhir said, but to be able to reach all these finals, with no home advantage, and still win, speaks for itself,” he added.

#2 Wasim Akram

The former Pakistan pacer stated that India's sheer prowess meant that they would have walked away with the title even if the entire tournament was contested in Pakistan, instead of a hybrid model. Akram added that India are reaping the rewards for sticking with their captain and coach, making performance count instead of the conditions.

"A lot of people talked about India playing all their matches in Dubai. Even if they played in Pakistan, their team would have won there too in the same fashion. They won the 2024 T20 World Cup without losing a game and now won the Champions Trophy without losing even one game; that shows the depth of their cricket and leadership," Akram said on the Dressing Room Show.

#3 Nasser Hussain

The former England captain asserted that the best team won the competition hands down. He heaped praise on every aspect of India's squad, mentioning they had the best of everything, making them worthy champions.

"Yeah, comfortably. Best team, best batting line-up, best spin bowling attack, best wicket-keeper batter, best captain, and definitely the best supported as well. You cannot argue with that, they beat everyone comfortably. Even under a little bit of pressure, they had the cool, calm head of KL Rahul. Brilliant, brilliant performance from India, yet again," Nasser Hussain said on Sky Sports Cricket.

#4 Sanjay Manjrekar

The former India cricketer highlighted India's ability to turn up in ICC events. Although India have played all of the ICC events over the last six years, they have made it to the knockout stage in each one of them, barring the 2021 T20 World Cup.

To conclude, he threw in a sly dig at the naysayers protesting India's unfair advantage of playing at the same venue throughout the Champions Trophy.

"It’s not just about ICC titles, it’s also about how many ICC matches India tend to win. We have an amazing record in ICC events in last 6 years. And by the way, all those matches weren’t played in Dubai," Manjrekar wrote on X.

#5 R Ashwin

The former India spinner feels that India are the new superpower in world cricket now that they have crossed the final hurdle when it comes to winning trophies. He feels that if the Men in Blue can make it a habit, they certainly have the firepower across formats to add more trophies to their cabinet.

"I think world, as a cricketing fraternity, will take some time to catch up with the Indian team because if they are going to go on this flow, and if we keep finding bowlers, then it will take some catching. This Champions Trophy is completely dedicated to the bowlers. Playing without Jasprit Bumrah, hats off to them," Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.