[Watch] Flashback to on-field interview of Rohit Sharma and Suresh Raina post India's Champions Trophy 2013 triumph
Current Indian skipper Rohit Sharma and former Indian cricketer Suresh Raina were visibly elated in an on-field interview after winning the Champions Trophy final against England on this day in 2013.
In a rain-curtailed game, Team India were sent in to bat first and scored only 129-7 in their 20 overs on a turning and two-paced wicket at Lord's. However, an inspired bowling performance and the astute captaincy of MS Dhoni saw the Men in Blue successfully defend the modest total by five runs to win their third ICC title in six years.
Virat Kohli top-scored for India with a defiant 43 off 34 deliveries. The spin twins, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, then picked up two wickets each, while part-time spinner Suresh Raina also chipped in with three valuable overs.
Ravindra Jadeja was adjudged the Player of the Match for his crucial 33* and 2/24 in his four overs.
Here is a video of the interview with Suresh Raina and Rohit Sharma:
Interview of Rohit Sharma and Suresh Raina after 2013 CT final win @ImRaina
https://t.co/HbIFGZLbKV
The victory helped India end their chase for the Champions Trophy title, after being co-champions, along with Sri Lanka, in the 2002 edition.
After the final, MS Dhoni, who captained India to all three ICC titles between 2007 and 2013, said:
"When we were batting I just said get close to 130. The shower helped us because the ball was gripping later on. It's important to be positive. I said 'we are the No. 1-ranked team, let's play like that'. I knew the two-overs of Powerplay were crucial. I wanted to make them slog off the spinners. They all handled the pressure really well, in international cricket people talk about technique but it's the ones that deal with the pressure."
History makers - Team India 😍
#OTD in 2013, India became the first team to win all three white-ball ICC Trophies under the leadership of MS Dhoni.
#Cricket #India #MSDhoni https://t.co/WBBBKmj7Ke
Shikhar Dhawan was named the Player of the Series for scoring 363 runs in five matches at an average of 90.75, while Ravindra Jadeja was the leading wicket-taker for the tournament with 12 scalps.
India maintained a perfect record in their run to the title, winning all three group stage games along with the semi-final and the final.
Team India's run at the Champions Trophy 2013
The Men in Blue experienced one of their most dominant campaigns at ICC events in the 2013 Champions Trophy in England. The team had a new opening combination of Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan in the tournament, a move that would do wonders for Team India over the next few years.
Dhoni's men kickstarted their campaign with a solid 26-run victory against a strong South African outfit, with Rohit and Shikhar adding a sensational 127 for the opening wicket. India scored a mammoth 331/7 in their 50 overs before bowling out the Proteas in the final ball of the match to seal a comfortable victory.
Team India then marched past the West Indies with an emphatic eight-wicket victory in just the 40th over. MSD and Co. then decimated arch-rivals Pakistan handily, winning by eight wickets with almost three overs to spare.
In the semi-final, India put on another dominating display against Asian neighbors Sri Lanka, shredding their batting lineup for just 181/8 in 50 overs before chasing the target down in 35 overs.
The 2013 Champions Trophy title remains India's last ICC silverware as the team has struggled to live up to the weight of the expectations since. Rohit Sharma and Co. will look to break the drought and bring home the 50-over World Cup starting in October this year.