What Have We Learned from the 2025 Champions Trophy?
by Devesh Jaganath | by Devesh Jaganath
India Solidify Status As The World’s Best Limited-Overs Team
What happens when the world’s best team receives a clear advantage? Simple, they smash anyone in their path! India claimed the ultimate prize on Sunday, beating New Zealand by four wickets and with six balls to spare, delivering an excellently executed performance to claim their second ICC title in the last 12 months, following their resounding triumph at the T20 World Cup on home soil last year.
However, as the millions of India fans reveled in victory, there is a case to be made that the tournament’s predictable nature should serve as a wake-up call for those governing the global game. From the outset, it felt like India’s tournament to lose, with their matches resembling exhibition games, while the real contest was unfolding across the border in Pakistan. Visiting teams were flown in to face a star-studded lineup of 11 elite players who were not required to travel at all and even stayed in the same hotel for the entire tournament.
The Blue Shirts declared in December that they would not travel to Pakistan due to long-standing political tensions between the two nations, seemingly putting the ICC in a difficult position. Could the tournament actually go ahead without India? That was never a realistic option, given that the Indian market is believed to make up around 80% of the ICC’s revenue. Yet, at every stage of the competition, Rohit Sharma’s side refused to acknowledge the advantage this situation created - until Mohammed Shami finally admitted after their semi-final win that it had “definitely” worked in their favour.
In 2023, a similar controversy erupted when a semi-final pitch was switched at the last minute, a decision that seemingly favoured India’s spinners. Then, eight months ago at the T20 World Cup semi-final against England in Guyana, Sharma was the only captain who knew in advance where his team’s matches would be held - another clear advantage. To further accommodate Indian viewership, the crucial fixture was played at 10:30, which significantly limited the presence of the local crowd.
Check out our the best online bookmakers for cricket betting.
Take Nothing Away From India’s Stars
Of course, while questions swirl, none of this is the fault of India’s players. Sharma delivered a masterclass at the top of the order in the final, Virat Kohli once again played a pivotal role in guiding the team to the end, and spinners Varun Chakaravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav were nearly unplayable throughout the tournament. The Men in Blue’s dominance is such that they might well have lifted the trophy regardless of where the tournament was staged. In fact, their triumph has been so commanding that the absence of injured star pacer Jasprit Bumrah - a significant blow under normal circumstances - has been largely overlooked.
India’s dominance is unlikely to wane in the near future either, with their opponents facing an even steeper challenge in the next two major tournaments - the Women’s World Cup later this year and the Men’s T20 World Cup in the spring of 2026. Both events will be held in India, with Sri Lanka co-hosting the T20 edition, and by now, one thing is evident: defeating India in the sub-continent is perhaps the toughest task in world cricket today.
Our experts will continue to bring you all their in-depth cricket predictions over the coming months, so stay tuned to SportyTrader!
