ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Ashwin-Karthik and Raina are unable to forget this trick of Dhoni, remembered the 2013 Champions Trophy final
Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin recalled MS Dhoni’s on-field tactical brilliance during the 2013 Champions Trophy final against England and said he was left surprised by MS Dhoni’s advice to dismiss Jonathan Trott. India faced host nation England in the 2013 Champions Trophy final played at Edgbaston, Birmingham. Rain interrupted the match and the match was reduced to 20 overs each. Under Dhoni’s captaincy, India defended 129 runs. Recalling the former captain’s game awareness and strategic thinking, Ashwin narrated the story behind dismissing Trott during a special episode of JioHotstar’s ‘Unbeaten: Dhoni Dynamites’.
Dhoni’s Tactical Advice During the ICC Champions Trophy Final
Ashwin said, ‘I still remember Mahi bhai came to me and said – don’t bowl over the stumps to Trott. Bowl around the wicket. Trott will try to play on the leg side and if the ball spins, he will be stumped. I still can’t believe how he predicted this so easily.’ The Indian team was praised a lot for this victory under Dhoni’s leadership. Dhoni became the first captain to win three ICC trophies.
Karthik and Chopra Reflect on Dhoni’s Leadership in the ICC Champions Trophy 2013
On this day in 2013, India won the Champions Trophy by beating England in the Finals and #MSDhoni became the first and only captain to win all 3 ICC Trophies🏆❤️#MSDhoni #Dhoni #TeamIndia #CT13pic.twitter.com/otXjX4Zo9p
— Shivam Jaiswal 🇮🇳 (@7jaiswalshivam) June 23, 2021
Former Indian wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik also gave his opinion on the team’s resilience and Dhoni’s ability to take important decisions under pressure. He said – This was an opportunity for us to show what cricket means to Team India. We were resilient, we fought to come back and we had a never-give-up mentality. England was almost close to victory and could have won easily, but Dhoni took some brilliant strategic decisions and the bowlers supported him.
Former India batsman and commentator Aakash Chopra said the 2013 Champions Trophy was a testament to Dhoni’s leadership. “It was his tournament. The trophy had Dhoni written all over it. He had almost moulded this team in his own image and won one after the other. It was a story written by Aakash,” he said.
Dhoni’s Key Decisions in the ICC Champions Trophy Final
The decisions taken by Dhoni in that match proved to be fatal for England. Ishant Sharma was thrashed a lot in the first spell. Despite this, Dhoni brought Ishant back to bowl. After Dhoni’s advice to bowl slow balls, Ishant sent Eoin Morgan and Ravi Bopara back to back in the 17th over. Both the catches were taken by Ashwin. This turned the match around and India made a tremendous comeback.
Ishant Sharma’s Match-Winning Spell in the ICC Champions Trophy
Aakash called it one of Ishant’s greatest achievements and praised Dhoni’s ease in bringing out the best from his players. He said, “It was the most magical spell of Ishant’s life. He changed the pace and took two crucial wickets in a row. That’s when you realise that Dhoni has the Midas touch. Whatever he touches turns into gold.”
Dhoni trusted spinner Ashwin to bowl the last six balls. Ashwin proved this decision right and India won by five runs. Aakash explained why this decision worked. He said, ‘This move was taken in view of Dhoni’s unwavering faith in Ashwin’s abilities. Giving the ball to a spinner in the 20th over is a big gamble, but Dhoni had full faith in Ashwin. Dhoni believed not only in Ashwin’s skills but also in his mentality and ability to withstand pressure.’
India’s Preparation for ICC Champions Trophy 2025
Former Indian all-rounder and another integral member of the team, Suresh Raina, also spoke on the Indian team’s victorious campaign. Raina compared this victory to India’s victory in the 2011 World Cup. He said, ‘We lost four matches in the 2011 World Cup and it was a tough experience, but such victories define your career. We worked very hard and the entire Indian team achieved this honor.’ The Rohit Sharma-led Indian team will start its campaign in the Champions Trophy against Bangladesh in Dubai on February 20. The grand match between India and Pakistan will be played in Dubai on February 23.
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