Dubai [UAE], March 8 (ANI): When India takes on New Zealand in the final of the ICC Champions Trophy in Dubai, the spotlight will majorly be on two Men in Blue stalwarts, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who have pretty much done it all, seen at all at major ICC events, be it playing clutch knocks to secure an all-important victory, missing out on a big score when lights shined the brightest at them, experiencing the ectascy coming with lifting the gold or covering their teary faces with their cap on facing a heartbreaking defeat.
With age not by their side anymore at 37 and 36 respectively, it could very well be the last time India witnesses two of its biggest icons in an ICC tournament together for one last time. Over the years, they have evolved from being free-flowing, talented youngsters to being national icons on whose calculated strokes and swings hinge the hopes of over a billion people.
Rohit and Virat have fine records in ICC ODI knockout matches. In 10 such matches, Rohit has scored 459 runs at an average of 51.00, with two centuries, including a knock of 137 against Bangladesh in the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup quarterfinals and 123* against the same opponent in the Champions Trophy 2017 semis.
Virat has been much superior as compared to Rohit, with 530 runs in 13 innings at an average of 48.18, with a century and four fifties to his name. Highlights include 117 against New Zealand in the ICC Cricket World Cup semifinals at Wankhede Stadium back in 2027, which made him the first-ever player to reach 50 ODI tons, a knock of 43 in a rain-affected ICC Champions Trophy final against England in 2013, 84 against Australia during a tense chase of 265 runs in the recent ICC CT 2025 semifinal and 96* against Bangladesh in ICC Champions Trophy 2017 semifinal.
However, in ICC ODI finals, their records have not been that great. Virat has scored 137 runs in four ICC ODI finals at an average of just above 34 and one half-century that came during the 50-over World Cup in 2023 against Australia. Otherwise, his scores have been 35 (against Sri Lanka in the 2011 WC final), 43 against England in the CT 2013 final and 5 against arch-rivals Pakistan in the CT 2017 final. While there are three absolutely crucial knocks in Virat’s final catalogue, these do not truly justify Virat’s true talent and clutch ability.
Rohit’s record in ICC finals in ODIs has been terrible. He has just 56 runs in three games at a sub-par average of 18.66, with a best score of 47 in the 2023 WC finals. While he scored nine in the CT 2013 finals, he was out for a duck in the 2017 CT title against arch-rivals Pakistan.
Virat’s numbers become better if all white-ball ICC finals across Champions Trophy, Cricket World Cup and T20 World Cup are considered, with 290 runs in six matches at an average of 48.33, with three half-centuries and the best score of 76, which came in the T20 WC 2024 final against South Africa.
On the other hand, Rohit is yet to hit a half-century in an ICC white-ball tournament final, even across all ICC tournament finals, including ICC World Test Championship. In all ICC white-ball tournament finals, Rohit has made just 124 runs in six innings at an average of 24.80, with the best score of 47.
Will Rohit end his half-century drought, and will Virat finally hit a century at an ICC event final to become the second Indian after Saurav Ganguly (ICC Knockout 2000 finals against New Zealand) to do so? (ANI)
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