India National Cricket Team batting legend Sunil Gavaskar recently shared his views on the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 triumph of the Rohit Sharma-led side in Dubai.
Sunil Gavaskar labeled the ICC Champions Trophy victory as a ‘sweet win’ because of the way Team India bounced back following the disastrous performance in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25.
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India beat New Zealand to lift CT 2025 trophy
Under the leadership of Rohit Sharma, India had a horrible run in Test during the latter half of 2024 as well as the first half of 2025. India got whitewashed by New Zealand in the three-match home Test series, and it was the first time such a thing happened.
Then, India headed to Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. Under Jasprit Bumrah’s captaincy, India won the first game, but with Rohit Sharma’s return, the team faced losses and the Indian skipper had to opt out of the final Test, which the visitors also lost.
Following the disappointment in Test cricket, the Indian team gave something to fans to cheer about with their performance in white-ball cricket.
They first crushed England in the home T20I and ODI series and then went on to win the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 by remaining unbeaten. In the final, they faced a strong New Zealand unit but managed to register a comprehensive win.
Very seldom has a team depended on one individual like the Indians depended on Jasprit Bumrah – Sunil Gavaskar
Meanwhile, Sunil Gavaskar reckoned that the Indian team were overly dependent on Jasprit Bumrah in BGT 2024-25, and his absence cost the team the final Test.
“India’s win in the Champions Trophy was one sweet win, especially after the disappointing Test series loss to Australia a month or so earlier. For a team that had won the first Test of the series in such style to cave in and lose three out of the next four Test matches was not really a proper indication of the strength of the team,” Sunil Gavaskar wrote in his column for The Mid-day.
“Very seldom has a team depended on one individual like the Indians depended on Jasprit Bumrah in Australia and his absence from the bowling attack to defend the small target set by India tilted the scales Australia’s way and they won the final Test and with it the series.”
In the past too, India has won without Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli – Sunil Gavaskar
Sunil Gavaskar further acknowledged the importance of the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Virat Kohli, and Rohit Sharma but said that they are not indispensable, and without them, India have won many games and would continue to do that.
“For the Indian team to bounce back the way they did with comprehensive wins in the ODI and T20 series against England that were played on the team’s return to India tells volumes of the talent that Indian cricket has. Those wins, as also the triumph in the Champions Trophy and that too without Bumrah, also emphasises that nobody is indispensable in this game,” added Gavaskar.
“In the past too, India has won without Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, but there’s not the slightest doubt that their presence in the team gives the team an even more invincible look. It is good to see so many overseas cricketers now coming up and saying India would have won anyway wherever they played and not only because they were stationed in Dubai.”
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