India’s long wait is finally over. As they donned the signature white blazers and lifted the Champion’s trophy on a starry Sunday night in Dubai, Rohit Sharma and his men became the first Indian team since M S Dhoni’s 2013 side to win a 50-over International Cricket Council title. What augurs well is the way India won on Dubai’s slow wickets. Though the advantage India had with playing all their games at one venue has been much discussed, it was evident from the way they dominated against all teams showed the Men in Blue were superior in their craft and guile. Glimpses of their prowess had been on display at moments over the last decade, but the final clincher had eluded them. With this, less than a year after the T20 World Cup win, this bunch can claim to be one of the best white ball teams. The secret lies in the depth this team has even without the injured Jasprit Bumrah.
It was fitting that Rohit, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja—the three surviving members of the 2013 squad—came full circle to lift another trophy. It could prolong the careers of two of India’s finest cricketers, Kohli and Rohit, who were under the scanner. With head coach Gautam Gambhir overseeing the transition, this is the format where the trio is still thriving. On Sunday, they made it clear that they were not sauntering into the sunset. What makes this win even more special is the way the next generation rose to the occasion. Shubman Gill, K L Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel have bided their time for permanent berths on the ship. Now it would be hard to look past them as they form the core group around which the ODI team is built.
It’s not about youngsters alone. Varun Chakravarthy had a second coming at the age of 33 to become a champion in a format in which he made his debut last month. Mohammed Shami made a comeback to win his first ICC title. This win will also boost the cricket board’s confidence in the new coaching staff under Gambhir, who had a few rough months in the longest format. The former India captain’s tenure is till the next ODI World Cup. This win will allow him and the selectors to evaluate where the seniors stand and how to build the strongest team for 2027.