Apart from losing the Champions Trophy final against India in Dubai on Sunday, New Zealand had their own heroes. Rachin Ravindra and Matt Henry led the tournament in runs and wickets. Their efforts echoed New Zealand’s strength, even in loss.
Ravindra, the young all-rounder, was the leading run-scorer in the tournament, scoring 263 runs. His aggregate included a brisk 37 off 29 balls in the final against India. He also took three wickets, including India’s captain Rohit Sharma, for which he earned the Player of the Tournament award.
India’s Shreyas Iyer followed Ravindra with 243 runs, passing teammate Virat Kohli’s 218 runs. In the final, Iyer scored 48 runs, falling short of a fifty, and Kohli managed just one run. India’s Woes: Michael Bracewell of New Zealand dismissed Kohli as India came under pressure in the final.
England’s Ben Duckett and Joe Root placed third and fourth, with 227 and 225 runs, respectively. England’s strong batting couldn’t carry it deep into the tournament. Each of their contributions sparkled independently, but there was little support as a team.
Matt Henry was the leading wicket taker in the bowling, with 10, despite missing the final with a shoulder injury. He got hurt in the semifinal against South Africa but had established his credentials. Henry’s nonappearance in the final was a blow, but his earlier displays put him at the top of the charts.
Varun Chakravarthy led the Indian bowling, picking nine wickets in just three matches. Mohammed Shami, who took five against Bangladesh, equalled Chakravarthy’s nine wickets in five games. As a pair, they made a fearsome partnership for India.
Mitchell Santner of New Zealand also took nine wickets while Michael Bracewell took eight. They joined Henry and Chakravarthy as the top bowlers of the tournament. Their contributions ensured New Zealand remained competitive throughout the event.
Henry’s tally of 10 wickets is very impressive, but the Champions Trophy record is with Hasan Ali and Jerome Taylor. It was also 13, as Ali took the wickets for Pakistan in 2017, though Taylor had matched that in 2006 for West Indies. Henry’s total may have fallen short of the record, but it underscored his dominance.
Ibrahim Zadran of Afghanistan mustered 177, the highest individual score of the tournament, against England. Ben Duckett scored 165, Josh Inglis and Joe Root scored 120. The other top score was Tom Latham of New Zealand, 118, which capped off the batting glories of the tournament.
