Unsung Heroes For India in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Win

India lifted the Champions Trophy 2025 title on March 9, 2025, under Rohit Sharma’s leadership. The tournament saw India cruising towards victory in every match with ease. Possibly the best team of the tournament went to the final undefeated and looked like no competition from any of the opponents. Every game had a new player taking the team over the line. It was also a redemption tournament for players such as Varun Chakaravarthy, Shreyas Iyer, Mohammad Shami, and a few others.

Having missed out on the Champions Trophy 2017, India buried the ghost of the past and got its hands on the prestigious prize. Throughout the tournament, many individual moments of glory and performance were witnessed. But there are a few players who went unnoticed despite their valuable contributions throughout.

Players who deserve more praise than they got in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025:

KL Rahul

KL Rahul had a tough job on his back after the miserable ODI World Cup 2023 Final. Coming to this tournament, KL looked in charismatic touch and was always there when needed. In 4 innings, he looked well-settled and scored 106 runs at an average of 106 and a strike rate of 92. Apart from all the runs, his stability at the crease helped India cruise easily to the win. His stay at the crease rescued the team from a few tricky situations. The two important innings in the tournament were against Australia in the semi-final and New Zealand in the final.

In the semi-final, he came to bat when India was 4 wickets down and needed 87 runs. He held one end, which allowed Kohli to play freely and bring the match to India’s favour. Similarly, in the final, he helped India sail to victory when 70 runs were required in 11 overs. His patience and calm innings never put India under pressure. He was one of the main yet unnoticed players for India in the tournament.

Hardik Pandya

Hardik Pandya has been in great form since the T20 World Cup 2024. This Champions Trophy was another example of why everyone rates him highly. He brings great stability to the team with his exceptional skill set. Known for his gutsy attitude and always ready to deliver, especially in pressure situations. In 4 innings, Pandya scored 99 runs at a strike-rate of 106.46 and picked 4 crucial wickets.

His best bowling figure in this tournament came against Pakistan, where he picked 2 crucial and big wickets in Babar Azam and Saud Shakeel. In the last three matches, due to Hardik Pandya’s fast-bowling ability, India was able to play Varun and Kuldeep together, along with Axar and Jadeja.

With bat, Hardik controlled the game as and when needed. His crucial partnership of 40-odd runs with Jadeja against New Zealand in the league stage was a testimony to his maturity as a batter. Similarly, against Australia in the semifinal, Hardik ensured the game never looked out of control and kept scoring crucial boundaries in a short inning of 28 runs. Hardik was one of the key players for India in the tournament.

Axar Patel

In Dubai’s slow and sluggish pitch, Axar Patel’s contribution as an all-rounder was just beyond words. He played a major role in India’s road to lifting the Champions Trophy 2025. He was also there whenever India needed a big wicket. Against Pakistan, he got the important wicket of Rizwan, and in the next match, he sent Kane Williamson back to the pavilion. In the semifinal, he got the better of Glenn Maxwell. He picked two wickets against Bangladesh, where he dismissed Mushfiqur Rahim for a golden duck. He made batters dance to his tune and caused headaches for them.

With the bat, Axar formed some important partnerships and didn’t let the pressure get to the other batters. His highest came against New Zealand in the league stage, where India was in a tricky position at 30-3. Coming to bat in the seventh over only, Axar stitched a crucial partnership of 98 runs with Shreyas Iyer. Even in the semifinal against Australia, he played a convenient inning of 27 runs off 30 balls and took India to a comfortable position. Just like the T20 World Cup 2024 final, Axar came in handy with the bat in this Champions Trophy 2025 final as well, scoring 29 off 40 balls. His presence provided the team with a left-handed batsman in the middle. His growth as a batter has given the management a cushion to try him at different positions according to the situation.

These three were the unsung heroes for India in the Champions Trophy 2025. Their age and form will play a major role in India’s success in the next ICC ODI event, which will be the ODI World Cup 2027. India would want these three in their setup for all the ODI matches to be played before the upcoming ICC ODI event.