The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 concluded with India securing a historic third title under the leadership of Rohit Sharma, marking a triumphant return to the top after a 12-year wait. Despite his pivotal role in guiding India to victory, Rohit was surprisingly omitted from the ICC’s Team of the Tournament. This decision has raised eyebrows, especially given his match-winning performance in the final against New Zealand. The ICC team features a strong contingent of Indian players, including Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Varun Chakravarthy, and Mohammed Shami, with New Zealand’s Mitchell Santner named as the captain.
Rohit Sharma’s dominant form in Champions Trophy 2025 final
Rohit’s performance in the Champions Trophy 2025 final was nothing short of spectacular. He led from the front with a crucial 76 off 83 balls, setting the tone for India’s successful chase of 252 against New Zealand. His innings was marked by a turbo-charged half-century, which included three sixes and several fours, helping India achieve their fastest team fifty of the tournament in just 7.1 overs. This display of leadership and batting prowess was instrumental in India’s victory, making his exclusion from the ICC Team of the Tournament all the more surprising.
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3 reasons why Rohit is not in the ICC’s Team of the Tournament
1. Consistency across the tournament
While Rohit’s performance in the final was outstanding, scoring 76 off 83 balls his overall consistency throughout the tournament was not as pronounced as some of his teammates. Players like Kohli (218 runs) and Iyer (243 runs) consistently contributed to India’s success, making them more appealing choices for the Team of the Tournament. Additionally, the ICC selectors might have prioritized players who performed well across multiple matches rather than just in the final.
2. Exceptional performances from other openers
The ICC Team of the Tournament features Rachin Ravindra and Ibrahim Zadran as the opening pair, both of whom had exceptional tournaments. Ravindra, named Player of the Tournament, scored 263 runs with two centuries, while Zadran amassed 216 runs at an average of 72. Their performances overshadowed Rohit’s overall tournament statistics, leading to their selection over him.
3. Team dynamics and balance
The ICC Team of the Tournament aims to create a balanced side that showcases the best performances across different roles. With Kohli and Iyer already selected for their middle-order contributions, the selectors might have felt that including Rohit would disrupt the balance of the team. Additionally, the inclusion of Santner as captain added a strong all-round element, which might have been seen as more valuable than Rohit’s batting alone.
ICC Best XI of Champions Trophy 2025
Rachin Ravindra (New Zealand), Ibrahim Zadran (Afghanistan), Virat Kohli (India), Shreyas Iyer (India), KL Rahul (wk) (India), Glenn Phillips (New Zealand), Azmatullah Omarzai (Afghanistan), Mitchell Santner (c) (New Zealand), Mohammed Shami (India), Matt Henry (New Zealand), Varun Chakaravarthy (India)
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