By Aditi S Bade
In one of the most thrilling showdowns ever seen in the Big Stadium at Dubai on March 9, 2025, Team India won their triumph over New Zealand by four wickets, dominating the game right through at T20.
First batting, New Zealand scored 251 runs in 50 overs with 7 wickets in hand. A solid 63 from Daryl Mitchell and a late blast from Michael Bracewell, who scored 53 in 48 deliveries and remained undefeated, completed the lineup. India’s quartet of spinners-Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, Axar Patel, and Ravindra Jadeja-went to work to keep the Kiwis under constant pressure while snaffling telling wickets.
The Indians managed to chase the target down, making it 252 for 6 in 59.4 overs. Skipper Rohit Sharma led the way with a crucial 76, setting up the chase. Despite suffering a mid-innings wobble, experienced KL Rahul remained composed to guide India to an unbeaten 34 and thus the victory.
Spin Supremacy: Spinners dominated with the magic treat of the stiff-kilted wicket hoisting in collective strangulation of the New Zealand batting lineup. Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy were simply brilliant-alluring on those middle overs-stunning plays; something that simply cut the game in India’s favor.
Rohit’s Masterclass: Rohit Sharma’s innings was fierce yet controlled. His 76 produced the required impetus and steadied the chase while earning him Player of the Match.
New Zealands Faithfulness: The Kiwis showed resilience despite not winning the match. Shubman Gill’s dismissal via a magnificent catch by Glenn Phillips was among the highlights, with Mitchell Santner’s leadership causing India to fight hard for every score.
Rohit Sharma did gush about how great his teammates were overall under a great deal of sweet and succulent cheering up from the spinners, who really put in the great efforts and earned such praise from the beginning to the end of the tournament. He spoke of the entire unit that finally made India ace each game and win big time.
Mitchell Santner commented on the match by saying that New Zealand were about 20 runs short according to him. He told how India were great in every aspect, and how very few sprinkles they would have found to be truly difficult. New Zealand offered a great show of determination, and in honest terms, struggled enough with those tricky spinners.
India is the reigning champion of two successive global titles after winning the 2023 World Cup. They very well illustrate how much they have under their breasts and not be misled by performances on one typical day in one day cricket. But above all, redemption for that heart-breaking loss to New Zealand in the 2019 World Cup semi-final has been achieved, and it sits well with both players and fans.