India’s superstar batter and Rohit Sharma’s deputy Shubman Gill is all set to perform well in the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025 final. However, before the big clash, he recently opened up about the heartbreaking 2023 ODI World Cup final and expressed his determination to use the experience gained from that setback to improve his approach in the upcoming final against New Zealand.
Reflecting on India’s painful 2023 ODI World Cup final loss, Shubman Gill recalled how the team was just one win away from replicating the iconic 2011 World Cup triumph. However, destiny had other plans, as a powerful knock from Travis Head shattered India’s hopes, with Australia clinching a commanding six-wicket victory in Ahmedabad.
Speaking about the last ODI World Cup final, the star batter said, “Obviously, some nerves in that match. (I learned) a lot of things. It was my first ICC final… I was very excited,” he said, as quoted by the ICC.
“(It felt like) I was losing time to dominate in that game. I think in big ICC knockout matches, you can give yourself a little bit more time than you think. We lost the World Cup final in 2023 and then won the T20 World Cup in 2024. So, I think we have got good momentum going with us in this tournament,” he added.
Calls Champions Trophy final a milestone match for India
Speaking about the upcoming game, the ICC’s No. 1 ODI batter said, “It’s going to be a really exciting game for us, and definitely, if we are able to win this one, I think it would be a great way to end this format this year. It’s a very big opportunity for us, and in general, in any ICC tournament or any ICC event that happens, we have a lot of responsibility and a lot of pressure from our fans. And in the last two ICC tournaments that we have played, we went on to make the final,” Gill added.
