Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar could not control his emotions on Sunday night at the Dubai International Stadium as he brought out his child-like dance moves after India lifted the Champions Trophy title. The Rohit Sharma-led side beat New Zealand by four wickets in a thrilling contest to become the most prolific side in the history of the ICC tournament, lifting their third title.
In the moment that went viral on social media, 75-year-old Gavaskar broke into dance moves when the Indian team took the podium to collect the coveted trophy after being honoured with the customary Champions Trophy 'white jacket'. Presenter Mayanti Langer was left in splits looking at Gavaskar as she quickly moved away from the front of the camera to allow a better view of the legend's passionate dance moves. Fellow panellist Robin Uthappa, too, smiled as he took out his mobile phone to capture the emotional moment.
"Who is going to stop Sunny ji today?" thought Star Sports presenter Jatin Sapru at the sight of Gavaskar's dance moves. Former India cricketer Harbhajan Singh replied: “W shouldn't stop him today because this is a wonderful moment. It was fun to watch him. He is a legend and a respected cricketer. It was for him that we all started playing cricket. We were fortunate that those trophies were in our hands. And today, he is living that same feeling again.”
Unbeaten India win Champions Trophy
The Indian team completed an unbeaten run to a second consecutive ICC title haul under Rohit as the victory over New Zealand confirmed their status as the world's premier white-ball side. The captain led by example as India prevailed in a nerve-wracking final in Dubai on Sunday.
{{/usCountry}}The Indian team completed an unbeaten run to a second consecutive ICC title haul under Rohit as the victory over New Zealand confirmed their status as the world's premier white-ball side. The captain led by example as India prevailed in a nerve-wracking final in Dubai on Sunday.
{{/usCountry}}India now have an incredible record of winning 22 of their last 23 completed matches in International Cricket Council (ICC) tournaments. Their only loss in the last three ICC events came in the final of the 50-overs World Cup against Australia in 2023.
Rohit top-scored with a rapid 76, but KL Rahul's unbeaten 34 in the nerve-shredding final overs helped India chase down a tricky 252-run target with one over to spare. New Zealand fought tooth-and-nail, defending a modest total of 251-7, and Michael Bracewell produced a memorable all-round display, but reigning T20 world champions India could not be denied a second successive global title.