India winning the Champions Trophy reiterates the nation’s dominance of white-ball cricket in recent times. In the 2023 one-day international World Cup, India, the hosts, had tamed every single side, winning 10 consecutive matches on their way to the final, before losing to the Australians. But 2024 brought redemption with India going on to win the men’s T20 World Cup played in the Americas. Here too, India had remained undefeated in the tournament. The Men in Blue have now lifted the Champions Trophy. Data confirm India’s supremacy in this category. The team has won 23 of the 24 matches it has played in ICC tournaments that have included the ODI World Cup, the T20 World Cup and, now, the Champions Trophy. There have been two common features in India’s performances that are particularly reassuring. First, one of the pillars of the success has been India’s ability to play as a unit with almost every player, seasoned and new, pitching in. Second, the bowling unit, traditionally seen as India’s Achilles heel, has delivered along with the batsmen. In fact, it would not be an exaggeration to suggest that Indian bowlers have outperformed the batsmen on a number of occasions.
Success, however, often leads to complacency, resulting in a blinkered vision. The wise men who are in charge of Indian cricket must not rest on the laurels. They must look ahead to a future that would require taking some critical decisions. For instance, the seniors in the side, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma among them, gave a decent account of themselves in the Champions Trophy. This was a relief, given their woeful performances in Australia and against New Zealand at home in Test matches. But there is no denying that they are getting on in the years and it is unlikely that they would be able to perform consistently like before. Decisions regarding the seniors calling time must be taken with the interest of the team in mind. India must also seek to replicate their success in the white-ball formats in the one with the red cherry. For the real test, as they say, is Test cricket.