On Sunday, March 9, India clinched their third Champions Trophy title by beating New Zealand by four wickets at the Dubai International Stadium.
India couldn’t play their best game in the final, leaving fans disappointed with their poor fielding performance. The Indian players dropped four catches while fielding first, which cost them dearly. If those chances had been taken, New Zealand might have been restricted to a much lower score than 251 runs.
After a strong team effort, the Indian team continued their tradition of honoring the best fielder. The BCCI shared a video from the dressing room where fielding coach T Dilip awarded the medal to Ravindra Jadeja.
𝗗𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗥𝗼𝗼𝗺 𝗕𝗧𝗦 | 𝗙𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 | #Final
For one final time in the #ChampionsTrophy 🏆
The winner of the fielding medal goes to 🥁
WATCH 🎥🔽 #TeamIndia | #INDvNZ
— BCCI (@BCCI) March 10, 2025
T Dilip decided not to invite anyone into the dressing room and instead chose to personally present the prestigious award, which he had introduced during the 2023 World Cup.
“I think if you really look at the whole tournament, there is one takeaway. I feel it is this. That no effort on the field was ever too small. Why I say is because every single commitment on the field was fueling a common goal. And tonight, the goal is right in front of us. We are champions! Yeah!” said T Dilip.
“Fielding is two sides of same coin. One side we always talk about intensity, aggression, attitude, reflexes. On the other side, we always speak about camaraderie, the trust, the brotherhood between each other. And together, that’s what we displayed throughout this tournament as brothers and as well as intensity wise. Well done, guys. Power.” he said.
“Let’s get to contenders. I think he’s been showing top stuff today in his own bowling, but the way he chased the ball today, getting that bullet throws and also cutting those angles. Ravindra Jadeja. Goal!. I think last time when we spoke about skill and will, I think someone who really displays all the time when he is on the field. Not only on the field, but also with his leadership qualities, the way he is putting those dives and catching that Rohit Sharma. The medal goes to Ravindra Jadeja” T. Dilip added.
Even though Jadeja didn’t take any catches or make any run-outs, his sharp fielding helped stop New Zealand from turning singles into doubles, which earned him the award. He performed well in all three areas of the game, taking one wicket and scoring the winning runs for India.
ALSO READ: Rohit Sharma Retirement: Indian Captain Finally Breaks Silence on His Future
