Ricky Ponting Dubs The Real Reason Behind India’s CT 2025 Win – And It’s Not Virat Kohli Or Varun Chakravarthy!

Ricky Ponting believes that while the experience of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli played a crucial role in India’s ICC Champions Trophy 2025 victory, it was the remarkable contributions from the team’s all-rounders that truly made the difference.

Speaking to the official ICC website, Ponting emphasized the depth and balance India had, crediting their all-rounders for their outstanding performances throughout the tournament.

The Impact of India’s All-Rounders

In an ICC Review, Ponting stated, “Their all-rounders right through the tournament were outstanding,” as quoted from the official website of ICC. “(Ravindra) Jadeja, Axar Patel, Hardik Pandya, were all outstanding. I said at the start of the tournament I thought India would be really hard to beat because of their overall balance and because of that mix of youth and experience, and once again, in a final, the captain stands up and gets the job done for his team,” Ponting said.

India featured three all-rounders in their playing XI throughout the tournament, which provided them with exceptional batting depth and a variety of bowling options. This strategic combination allowed the team to maintain flexibility and control in different match situations.

Breaking down their contributions, Ponting said, “They were a very well balanced side anyway, but because they had so many all-rounders…when you’ve got Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, who they used up the order on a number of occasions for that left-handed option, and with Jadeja there as well, they were a very well balanced team.”

Hardik Pandya’s Crucial Role and Axar Patel’s Consistency

Despite minor concerns over India’s fast bowling depth, Ponting pointed out how the team successfully managed this with Pandya stepping up. “The only thing you would probably say, they probably looked a little bit light on fast bowling, but as it turned out, they didn’t need that,” he noted.

“That’s where Hardik Pandya’s role becomes really important to be able to bowl with a new ball and get through some overs early to make it a little bit easier for the spinners in the backend of their Powerplay and also through the middle overs where they predominantly bowl and spin pretty much right through the middle of the game,” he added.

Ponting also praised Axar Patel for his consistent performances throughout the tournament, particularly for his contributions with both bat and ball. “Axar Patel is the other one that I think needs a lot of credit for this tournament. I think his bowling was as consistent and rock solid as you’d ever see,” Ponting said.

Highlighting Axar’s batting role, Ponting added, “Then, just some of those little cameos he played with the bat, coming in earlier and sort of steadying the ship and just making life a little bit easier for the lower order in KL Rahul, Pandya, and Jadeja…I think he deserves a lot of credit for his tournament.”

India’s strategic use of their all-rounders was instrumental in their triumph, proving that their depth and versatility were key factors in securing the Champions Trophy 2025 title.

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