ICC Champions Trophy – How Shreyas Iyer & KL Rahul, played their contrasting roles to perfection in landmark Indian triumph | Cricket News

KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer are two cricketers, in absolute contrast to each other, who have been immensely vital to India’s ICC Champions Trophy triumph. Both have their detractors, but without them this win wouldn’t have been possible.Even in the final, their contrasting approaches stood out but entirely in character – Shreyas taking a couple of risks that would have got him out, and Rahul going the other way eschewing risks altogether. But the truth is that both played their roles to perfection.
Shreyas, who doesn’t take risks and doesn’t counterattack, is of no use to this Indian team; else he would be Rahul. Rahul who doesn’t avoid risks is of no use to this Indian team; else he would be Shreyas.
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When Shreyas charged out and nearly holed out to deep midwicket – it just about crept over the rope for six with a desperate Will Young trying his best to haul it back – that exactly was his job description. Stun the opponents with chutzpah. When Rahul looked aghast at Axar Patel, who had thrown his wicket away, with such utter disappointment – almost betrayal – that suggested ‘why?!’, it was entirely in character.
India’s Shreyas Iyer plays a shot during the ICC Champions Trophy final cricket match between India and New Zealand at Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (AP)
That’s the best thing about both players – they stay in character and rarely stray from that.
And to think Shreyas once nearly gave up cricket in his teenage days because he wasn’t selected for a Mumbai under-age tournament. A few years back, we were at his parents’ home in a Mumbai suburb where he grew up, and it was his mother Rohini who brought that moment up, dragging her husband Santosh in the conversation.
“You remember Santosh, he came and sat on that same couch (pointing at the one we’re sitting on). He was about to cry,” Rohini said. The father couldn’t help himself but carry on with the theme, and said he even suggested to Shreyas that he can stop playing cricket.Story continues below this ad
“But he got angry and said, ‘Papa, how can you even say that?’” Santosh recalled. It was then that Santosh took matters into his own hands, opting to take him to a sports psycholog, Mugdha Bavare. The teenager stabilised, got back his love for the game and plunged himself back into cricket.
Learning the hard way
Similarly, Rahul had his moment at a television show hosted director Karan Johar, where he became the collateral damage along with Hardik Pandya. When Pandya’s childhood coach Jitender Singh had reached Hardik’s home at 7.30 am after he was sent back from Australia post the controversy, he found Hardik sitting on a sofa with his sunglasses on.
India’s KL Rahul poses with the winners trophy after defeating New Zealand in the final cricket match of the ICC Champions Trophy at Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Sunday. (AP)
“He hadn’t slept the whole night, na?,” the coach asked another person in the room. “Tension nahin lena hai (Don’t take tension). You will get back to playing for India very soon. Jo ho gaya, voh ho gaya (what’s done is done), no use worrying about it. Come tomorrow to Reliance Stadium. Now, smile.” His life turned around the next day.
Rahul, meanwhile, handled it differently. His friend – a former Karnataka teammate David Matthias – once told this newspaper about his meeting with Rahul after he was banned the BCCI for that Johar show. “I remember I met him the day after that. We didn’t chat about it at all. We have an unfiltered relationship – share everything really that upsets or excites us. That didn’t feature much. Mothers of our friends did say, ‘Oh Rahul, was such a good boy in that!’ I like Hardik too. He is a good human, a genuine guy. The only thing KL told me is from now on, if anyone asks you to recount any funny stories about me, tell them you have plenty but none to share!”Story continues below this ad
Thus far in this tournament, just as he had done in the 2023 ODI World Cup, Shreyas kept counterattacking. Unlike that tournament where he failed in the final, he had his moment of redemption in this final. He attacked, counterattacked, and also once he realised he was perilously close to combusting, he adjusted.
Once Rohit fell, especially in the manner he did, the pressure fell on Shreyas. A phase of tuk-tuk followed but it would have been apparent to anyone who watched it that it was against his character, his game.
India’s KL Rahul plays a shot during the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final cricket match between India and New Zealand, in Dubai, UAE. (PTI)
He tried. Until he couldn’t hold himself back and charged out to nearly hole out to deep midwicket. The difference is the fans would have fretted and even abused him for that shot that nearly wasn’t a six- but in his mind he played it because he thought it could be the six that turned the game.
Fine print
Where does the truth lie? Did he undersell himself? Didn’t he value his own wicket? Did he misread the situation? All those questions are valid but it could only be answered in affirmative a year from now. then, his wicket would be so valuable that he can’t afford this discretion perhaps.Story continues below this ad
Right now, he has the license – in fact that’s his job. In fact, it can be argued that if he plays his cards well – and more importantly, he has the backing of the coach and the captain – he can even continue this for a short while yet. Soon, the responsibility will fall on his shoulders and it would be disappointing if he continues to take chances – but that’s in the future.
Similarly, it would be disappointing if Rahul tries to take undue risks to try and put pressure on the opponents. That’s not his game, as yet for India. In the IPL, yes, but not for India. The roles are clearly defined.
India’s KL Rahul and R Jadeja with others celebrate after their win against New Zealand in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final cricket match, in Dubai, UAE. (AP)
Rahul’s parents are stable individuals who presumably understand his career path. In real life, Rahul prefers to climb out of batting pits through calm and composure.
“That’s how he has been all his life. You should see his parents – solid, intelligent (both professors) and calmer than Rahul even. He gets it from them. Doesn’t get flustered much at all,” Mathais said to this newspaper.Story continues below this ad
Contrast this with Shreyas’s parents. Here is his father about watching him bat: “Aiyo, I can’t handle it. I think I need to see a doctor for this. I cannot even sit till he’s crossed three figures. And she’s worse, usko dekh ke mujhe aur darr lagta hai (pointing at his wife). Since she doesn’t drink, I ask her to always sit with a glass of water to combat her nerves,” says Santosh.
But in all that apparent pressure, there is humour in Shreyas’s household that presumably helps him hold his nerve. “He will walk into the kitchen and say, ‘Mummy, kya bigad rahe ho?‘ And once he brought home my favourite stray dog and said ‘lo aaj ka dinner, isko cook karo,’” recalls the parents.
Two characters who have been much criticised, even abused general cricket fans, stayed true to their character – and did what the team demanded of them – to ensure India won the Champions Trophy.