Dubai: India’s Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill etched their names in history with an 105-run opening stand against New Zealand in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy final here on Sunday, joining an elite list of century partnerships in summit clashes of the prestigious tournament.
The duo put on a solid 105-run stand before New Zealand found the breakthrough with a moment of brilliance in the field. Mitchell Santner tossed one up to Gill, who drove the ball crisply towards cover, only for Glenn Phillips to pull off a sensational catch.
The acrobatic effort saw Phillips leap to his right, plucking a one-handed blinder in mid-air, leaving a stunned Gill walking back to the pavilion after scoring 31 off 50 balls, including a six.
The highest opening stand in a Champions Trophy final remains the 141-run partnership between Sourav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar against New Zealand in the 2000 edition at Nairobi. Pakistan’s Azhar Ali and Fakhar Zaman also stitched a memorable 128-run stand against India in the 2017 final at The Oval, setting up Pakistan’s maiden Champions Trophy triumph.
With their 105-run partnership, Rohit and Gill became only the third opening pair to achieve the feat in a Champions Trophy final, reinforcing India's dominance in global tournaments. However, Phillips' brilliance in the field has given New Zealand a much-needed boost.
