Regarding India’s choice to bowl first in the 2017 final, Aakash Chopra said: “Playing against Pakistan is one thing, but it’s also the tournament final. You accept the possibility that you will be asked to bowl first even if you lose the toss. However, you bat first and just bat them out of the game if you win the toss.
If you put enough runs on the board, you can practically expect Pakistan to collapse under pressure because they will play like Pakistan. But we decided to go bowling. The captain wanted to bowl first, but the coaching staff wanted India to bat first, as I understood it at the time. Ultimately, the squad is led by the captain, and we accomplished just that.”
When the “Men in Blue” lost to Pakistan in the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy final in 2017, India had unresolved business. Former cricket players and JioStar analysts Suresh Raina, Aakash Chopra, and Sanjay Manjrekar discuss that loss and their predictions for India’s road to redemption in the 2025 edition on a special episode of JioHotstar’s Unfinished: Kohli’s Crusade.
Regarding the quality in India’s 2017 Champions Trophy team, Aakash Chopra said: “We had advanced to a point where placing second wasn’t the criterion of achievement at that point.
With Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, R. Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, and Hardik Pandya on the Indian team, we nearly assumed that they would advance to the final. But you must raise the trophy in order to properly defend the skill and heritage in that locker room.”
Regarding India’s difficulties pursuing in ICC tournaments, Suresh Raina said: “We were unable to pursue in the 2015 World Cup match against Australia. In the 2017 ICC Men’s Champions Trophy final, we were unable to chase the total. In 2019, we attempted chasing but were unsuccessful. In the Champions Trophy final in 2013, we didn’t have to chase. Therefore, scoring runs in a crucial final is crucial. We make errors occasionally, but we grow from them. We won’t make those errors in 2025, in my opinion.
“There are a few players in the current team who would still carry the scars of that 2017 final loss to Pakistan—Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli—who are now obviously big names in world cricket,” said Sanjay Manjrekar, explaining why the 2025 edition is important for some players. They have experienced that difficult situation. Winning this competition would therefore be a pleasant salve for them. However, the game won’t be simple.
“The ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 could be the glory that wasn’t in 2017,” says Aakash Chopra, explaining the significance of the 2025 tournament. It was both so close and so far away. For the squad, the country, and particularly the players who might not have another chance to compete in an ICC event, this is an opportunity.
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