Former Team India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin showered praise on skipper Rohit Sharma’s captaincy after a victory in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final match. Ravichandran Ashwin credited Rohit Sharma for revolutionizing India’s white-ball batting approach, calling it his greatest legacy.
India clinched their third Champions Trophy title on Sunday, March 9, with a four-wicket victory over New Zealand in the final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Rohit Sharma’s tactical decisions played a key role in the team’s success in the prestigious ODI tournament, despite losing all five tosses.
Rohit Sharma Has Changed the Batting Frontier – Ravichandran Ashwin
Ravichandran Ashwin believes that Rohit’s greatest legacy is not just winning trophies but transforming India’s white-ball batting approach.
“The biggest legacy is not winning the tournaments, he has won five trophies with MI, he has now won 2 ICC titles also. Rohit Sharma has changed the batting frontier of Indian white-ball cricket, that is his greatest legacy,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
The veteran batter played a crucial role with the bat in the final. He scored 76 runs and won the Player of the Match award. The batter adopted an aggressive approach in the powerplay and added a 105-run opening stand with Shubman Gill, which set the foundation for India’s victory with an over to spare.
Under Rohit, India have dominated ICC tournaments, reaching four finals. They won two back-to-back titles—the T20 World Cup 2024 and the Champions Trophy 2025, both without losing a match. The 37-year-old became the second Indian captain after MS Dhoni to win multiple ICC titles.
He Did Not Allow Him to Return to the Attack – Ravichandran Ashwin
Ravichandran Ashwin compared Rohit Sharma’s batting approach in the recent ICC ODI finals.
In the 2023 World Cup final, Rohit scored 47 off 31 balls but was dismissed in the final over of the powerplay. However, in the Champions Trophy 2025 final, he ensured he converted his start into a match-winning half-century.
“This was not the usual Rohit Sharma, it was not like the time he was batting in the World Cup final against Australia in Ahmedabad. These were measured shots. He knew Nathan Smith was new to the circuit, so he properly attacked him, he did not allow him to return to the attack,” Ashwin pointed out.
People Want to Find Something or the Other – Ravichandran Ashwin
The 38-year-old defended Rohit Sharma’s aggressive batting approach amid criticism of his high-risk style. He emphasized that Rohit has already proven himself with his batting performances and captaincy.
“Keep all of that on the side, everything is done now. He has won 2 ICC titles, who cares whether he scores 40 or 50, he has 11,000 runs in ODIs, he is a stalwart. People want to find something or the other, why? India’s white-ball thought process has always been to score big and remain not out,” he added.
The Mumbai cricketer finished the tournament with 180 runs in five matches, at an average of 36 and a strike rate of 100. He was the fourth-highest run-scorer for his team in the tournament, behind Shreyas Iyer (243 runs), Virat Kohli (218 runs), and Shubman Gill (188 runs).
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