{ "id": "165126", "author": "26", "cnmid": "", "title": "Kohli Roars Back, Smith Retires: Champions Trophy 2025 Storylines", "lang": "en", "series": "629", "cup_year": "2025", "article_type": "Featured Story", "excerpt": "India beat New Zealand by four wickets in the final of the Champions Trophy on Sunday in Dubai. AFP Sport looks at five storylines from the 50-over tournament. - Kohli silences doubters - Virat Kohli ", "subtype": null, "editor1": "

India beat New Zealand by four wickets in the final of the Champions Trophy on Sunday in Dubai. AFP Sport looks at five storylines from the 50-over tournament.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n

- Kohli silences doubters -<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n

Virat Kohli silenced the critics over his poor form in Test cricket with an unbeaten 100 against arch-rivals Pakistan.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Kohli took time to get into the groove on a sluggish Dubai pitch to anchor India's chase of 242 with key stands.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

His mastery of the conditions, combined with his ability to rotate the strike, took India to victory with six wickets and 45 balls to spare.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Kohli was also India's saviour in the semi-final against Australia when his 84 steered another successful chase.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Opposition skipper Steve Smith called the 36-year-old "arguably the best chaser the game has seen".<\/p>\r\n\r\n

- Pakistan party flops -<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n

Pakistan hosted a major cricket event for the first time in three decades and excitement there was sky-high, despite India's refusal to tour and instead play all their matches in Dubai.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

But the Pakistan team's poor showing on the field deflated the spirits of the cricket-crazy nation with successive losses to New Zealand and India.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

That signalled the end of Pakistan's title defence, and to add insult to injury, their dead-rubber final group match against Bangladesh was washed out.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

One disappointed fan called the tournament a "wedding where you don't know the bride or groom".<\/p>\r\n\r\n

- Superman Phillips -<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n

New Zealand's Glenn Phillips lit up the tournament with his fielding heroics, notably against India in the group phase for the key wicket of Kohli.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Phillips dived full stretch to his right at backward point and somehow held on to the ball to send Kohli back for 11 off fast bowler Matt Henry.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Kohli stood in disbelief for a few seconds before trudging back to the pavilion as the fans in Dubai fell silent.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Social media was abuzz with reactions to the catch, with one fan on X calling Phillips "the Superman of the tournament".<\/p>\r\n\r\n


\r\n- England captain Buttler resigns -<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n

Jos Buttler's England came into the competition off the back of a 3-0 ODI whitewash in India, but piled on a mammoth 351 in their opener against Ashes rivals Australia.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

England still managed to lose as Australia chased down the target to leave Buttler's side on the brink.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Defeat to Afghanistan put England out of the tournament after just two matches.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Two days later Buttler quit as England's white-ball captain after three successive flops in ICC events including their failed T20 and 50-over World Cup title defences.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

- Smith retires, Rohit doesn't -<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n

Veteran batsman Steve Smith, 35, called time on his ODI career a day after Australia lost in the semi-finals to India.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Smith top-scored for Australia with 73 but his knock was in vain after India overhauled Australia’s 264 and the captain's innings turned out to be his last in the format.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Another retirement seemed highly likely after the final with intense speculation that India skipper Rohit Sharma would end his one-day career if they won.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Also Read: <\/b> Highest tax paying cricketers<\/a><\/p>

Opener Rohit top-scored with 76 in the final and declared afterwards that he was not going anywhere, leaving Indian media stumped and fans relieved.
\r\n <\/p>\r\n", "image": "https:\/\/img.cricketnmore.com\/uploads\/2025\/03\/smith-and-kohli.jpg", "alt_img": "Kohli Roars Back, Smith Retires: Champions Trophy 2025 Storylines", "alt_title": "Kohli Roars Back, Smith Retires: Champions Trophy 2025 Storylines", "image1": null, "video": null, "seo_title": "Kohli Roars Back, Smith Retires: Champions Trophy 2025 Storylines On Cricketnmore", "seo_desc": "India beat New Zealand by four wickets in the final of the Champions Trophy on Sunday in Dubai. AFP Sport, Kohli Roars Back, Smith Retires: Champions Trophy 2025 Storylines.", "seo_keywords": "Virat Kohli, Steve Smith, Champions Trophy 2025, Rohit Sharma", "tag": null, "tagging": "Virat Kohli,Steve Smith,Champions Trophy 2025,Rohit Sharma,", "status": "1", "img_rpt": "0", "google": "1", "standout": "0", "edapps": "0", "pulse": "0", "no_index": "0", "feed": "0", "fixture": null, "slug": "kohli-roars-back-smith-retires-champions-trophy-2025-storylines", "user_id": "0", "read_count": "1", "ians_date": null, "ians_time": null, "server_time": null, "trash": "0", "view_count": "27867", "page_break": "0", "instant_articles": "1", "auto_link": "1", "created": "2025-03-10 14:14:46", "updated": "2025-03-10 14:14:46", "img_from": "Image Source: Twitter", "img_source": null, "schedule_publish": null, "news_keywords": "Virat Kohli, Steve Smith, Champions Trophy 2025, Rohit Sharma", "livescore_text": null, "livescore_link": null, "btn_text": null, "resend_feed": "0", "google_feed": "0", "read_more": "1", "posted_by": "13", "jio_date": "2025-03-10 14:14:46", "scheduled": "0", "news_now": "1", "breaking_news": "1", "google_date": null, "featured": "0", "pred_match_id": "Select", "article_content_type": null, "link": "https:\/\/www.cricketnmore.com\/cricket-special\/kohli-roars-back-smith-retires-champions-trophy-2025-storylines-165126" }