3 unsung heroes of India's Champions Trophy 2013 win
It has been 10 years to the day since India clinched the ICC Champions Trophy 2013 against all odds by beating hosts England in a last ball thriller. The match was reduced to 20 overs per side due to rain, but it proved to be one of the most riveting ICC finals ever.
Although the Men in Blue popped England to the post, there were some incredible performances from the players that perhaps justified them being eventual winners. Shikhar Dhawan was the leading run-scorer in the tournament and Ravindra Jadeja ended up with the most scalps.
However, there were also some players whose contributions went a bit under the radar and perhaps deserve recognition. Here's a look at three such players from that champion squad:
#3 Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli's performances in the 2014 and 2016 editions of the T20 World Cup have received accolades from all over the cricketing fraternity. However, he also played some crucial knocks in the Champions Trophy 2013 that proved to be pivotal in India's triumph.
Kohli scored 176 runs in five games at an incredible average of 58.66. A crucial 58* against Sri Lanka in the semifinals and then a 43 that was worth its weight in gold in the final proved that Kohli was more or less going to produce big-match performances in the next decade.
#2 Rohit Sharma
2013 Champions Trophy marked the beginning of arguably one of the finest opening partnerships in ODI history. Rohit Sharma was a middle-order batter for the tournament, but skipper MS Dhoni asked him to open the innings with Shikhar Dhawan and the rest as they say is history.
A massive century stand against South Africa in their tournament opener was enough to prove just how good Rohit and Dhawan were going to be at the top of the order for India. Dhawan scored the most runs in the tournament, but Rohit Sharma too scored a couple of half-centuries and showed that he had the potential to become the world-class opener that he is today.
#1 Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Bhuvneshwar Kumar had burst onto the scene when Pakistan toured India back in 2012/13 and the Men in Blue suddenly had a swing bowler who could trouble the batters by getting lateral movement as well.
While the bowlers like Ravindra Jadeja (12 wickets) and Ishant Sharma (10 wickets) received plaudits for their performances in the 2013 Champions Trophy, Bhuvneshwar quietly went about his business and maintained an incredible economy rate of just 3.91.
He also picked up six wickets from five games and ensured he got India off to a disciplined start with the ball.