Limited-overs form: On cricket and the Indian team
India’s performance in the shorter formats of cricket is outstanding. India’s latest triumph in the ICC Champions Trophy carried an air of inevitability. In Sunday’s (March 9, 2025) final, they overcame a gritty New Zealand side by four wickets with an over to spare. As fireworks lit up the Dubai sky and the 252-run target was chased down, the victory reaffirmed India’s dominance in white ball cricket. Across 24 ICC tournament matches — including the 2023 ODI World Cup, the 2024 T20 World Cup, and the Champions Trophy — Rohit Sharma’s men have secured 23 wins, an astounding 95.83% success rate. Stationed in Dubai for three weeks due to the Indian government’s refusal to allow play in Pakistan, the official host, India benefited from a fixed venue and minimal travel fatigue. However, their success was not merely circumstantial — they executed their plans with precision. Group stage wins against Bangladesh, Pakistan, and New Zealand, followed by a semifinal triumph over Australia, set the stage for the final against the Black Caps. Despite concerns about New Zealand’s history of upsetting India — most notably in the 2019 World Cup semifinal — the Men in Blue handled the challenge adeptly. On a sluggish pitch, India’s strategy of fielding four spinners proved decisive. Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, and Kuldeep Yadav stifled New Zealand’s scoring, though Mitchell Santner’s team still managed a competitive 251 for seven. In a high-stakes final, scoreboard pressure is always a factor, but Rohit’s composed 76 set the tone, and India’s deep batting line-up ensured a comfortable finish. While India has faced setbacks in Test cricket, including losses to New Zealand at home and Australia away, their limited-overs form remains formidable. The squad’s depth is evident — Rishabh Pant was left out of the playing XI, while talents such as Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan did not even make the squad. Contributions from Shreyas Iyer, K.L. Rahul, and Hardik Pandya underscored the collective effort, while Mohammed Shami’s return offset the absence of the injured Jasprit Bumrah. Virat Kohli’s consistency and Rohit’s leadership suggest that retirement is not imminent for either stalwart, but selectors must look ahead to the 2027 ODI World Cup. Honest assessments and strategic planning will be crucial to ensuring India’s sustained dominance in the years to come.
-
Outstanding (adjective) – excellent, exceptional, notable, distinguished, impressive
अति उत्कृष्ट
-
Triumph (noun) – success, victory, succeed, win, prevail
जीत
-
Air (noun) – Atmosphere, Aura, Vibe, Feeling, Mood
माहौल
-
Inevitability (noun) – The quality of being certain to happen.
अपरिहार्यता
-
Overcome (verb) – Conquer, Surmount, Defeat, Master, Prevail over
हराना
-
Gritty (adjective) – Courageous, determined, resolute, tough
साहसी
-
Spare (verb) – Save, afford, give, provide, allot
बचाना
-
Chase (verb) – follow, hunt, pursue, trail, track
पीछा करना
-
Victory (noun) – triumph, success, conquest, win, achievement
जीत
-
Reaffirm (verb) – Reassert, confirm, reiterate, reinforce, endorse.
पुष्टि करना
-
Dominance (noun) – supremacy, superiority, ascendancy, pre-eminence, predominance,
प्रभुत्व
-
Secure (verb) – Get by special effort
प्राप्त करना
-
Astounding (adjective) – Amazing, astonishing, staggering, shocking, surprising
चौंकाने वाला
-
Station (verb) – Position, Place, Locate, Deploy, Post
स्थिति होना
-
Refusal (noun) – denial, rejection, rebuff, repudiation, negation
इनकार
-
Host (verb) – Hold, present, introduce, accommodate
मेज़बान करना
-
Minimal (adjective) – Smallest, least, littlest, minor, slight
न्यूनतम
-
Merely (adverb) – only, purely, solely, simply, entirely
केवल
-
Circumstantial (adjective) – Incidental, Indirect, Secondary, Conditional, Situational
संयोगवश
-
Execute (verb) – Carry out, perform, implement, effectuate, enact
क्रियान्वित करना
-
Precision (noun) – Accuracy, exactness, meticulousness, precision
सटीकता
-
Set the stage for (phrase) – Prepare, Arrange, Organize, Plan, Initiate
मंच तैयार करना
-
Black Caps (noun) – New Zealand cricket team
न्यूज़ीलैंड क्रिकेट टीम
-
Upset (verb) – Defeat unexpectedly, surprise, overthrow, overturn, topple
हराना
-
The Men in Blue (noun) – Indian cricket team
भारतीय क्रिकेट टीम
-
Adeptly (adverb) – skillfully, proficiently, expertly, competently
निपुणता से
-
Sluggish (adjective) – Slow-moving, lethargic, inactive, unenergetic, listless
; धीमा
-
Field (verb) – Deploy, Position, Arrange, Organize, Line up
तैनात करना
-
Decisive (adjective) –deciding, conclusive, determining, final, settling, key
निर्णायक
-
Stifle (verb) – Suppress, smother, quell, restrain, strangle
दबाना
-
Composed (adjective) – Calm, Collected, Poised, Serene, Unruffled
शांत
-
Set the tone (phrase) – Establish, Define, Initiate, Influence, Shape
माहौल बनाना
-
Setback (noun) – Obstacle, difficulty, delay, hindrance
अड़चन/अवरोध
-
Formidable (adjective) – Daunting, challenging, fearsome, intimidating
डरावना
-
Squad (noun) – Team, Group, Unit, Crew, Band
टीम
-
Evident (adjective) – obvious, apparent, noticeable, conspicuous, perceptible
स्पष्ट
-
Underscore (verb) – emphasize, underline, stress, highlight, accentuate
जोर देना
-
Offset (verb) – Counterbalance, neutralize, cancel out, counteract, compensate
भरपाई करना
-
Imminent (adjective) – Impending, approaching, near, forthcoming, looming
आसन्न
-
Stalwart (noun) – Supporter, Loyalist, Pillar, Mainstay, Champion
पक्का समर्थक
-
Sustain (verb) – continue, carry on, keep, maintain, prolong, preserve
बनाए रखना
-
Assessment (noun) – evaluation, appraisal, review, analysis, examination
मूल्यांकन
-
Venue (noun) – location, place, site, locale, setting
स्थल
-
Fatigue (noun) – Tiredness, exhaustion, weariness, lethargy, enervation
थकान