Ravindra Jadeja, right, and KL Rahul celebrate India's win in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final against New Zealand. Photo: AP Ravindra Jadeja, right, and KL Rahul celebrate India's win in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final against New Zealand. Photo: AP

A place in five consecutive ICC event finals, two consecutive titles, semi-final and final wins against the two toughest teams in this competition: the Indian team is in a happy place. (Final Highlights | Full Coverage | More Cricket News)

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The final lived up to all expectations and largely laid to rest misgivings about the so-called ‘Dubai advantage’, proving yet again that it is performance on the ground on a given day that dictates winning or losing. And so-called advantages, perceived or otherwise, count for little, especially in limited-over white ball games.

The sheer quality and depth in their bowling and batting at this time enables this impressive Indian team to tie down opponents to manageable scores, and for its batters to step up and extricate it from difficult situations, whenever necessary, with ease. And that is the main reason behind its impressive winning streak over the last two years.

Most importantly, this team now has the quiet confidence and calm assurance exuded in the past by the greatest sides in the history of the game. A strength of purpose that comes from knowing your capabilities and living up to them, time after time.

Equally heartening has been the change of attitude of the media and PR agencies, who earlier seemed to think that it was part of their job description to create an insane hype of mindless chest-thumping before a tournament, and that victories would automatically follow in pre-ordained succession. After repeated failures and disappointments they have finally learned the hard way that cricketing victories are earned on the ground through the blood, sweat and tears of sustained effort, not through glitzy ads and fancy slogans.

Thankfully, they seem to have now toned down their strident, “victory a foregone conclusion” hype to a more mature, “It’s okay to give it your best , we know success does not automatically follow because a billion people are cheering,” narrative.

And with that,66br the expectations of a billion-plus fans demanding instant gratification have also come down to more manageable levels, reducing the hitherto unsustainable pressure on the players, considerably.

Suddenly you see a more relaxed Indian side, much less burdened by the pressure of playing and winning every game, every championship.A team that is enjoying and revelling in its success and celebrating each other’s contribution to the collective effort.

And it has started to show in the calm assurance with which this team has gone about its business in the do-or-die games that have so often been our nemesis in the past. A composure that was often missing earlier, at crucial times.

And this maturity augurs well for the continued success of this team in the days to come and may eventually lead to an era of Indian dominance of international cricket over the next few years, akin to the ones enjoyed by the great West Indies and Australian sides of the past.

I have spoken about this in the past, and it seems to me now that we are finally at the new dawn that heralds that golden period. Provided we can just adhere to the processes and best practices that have got us here, all the way to this threshold. Consistently nurturing and maximizing the sheer variety of mind-boggling talent that we have at our disposal at this time.

You only need to think that the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Rishabh Pant, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sarfaraz Khan, Nitish Reddy (to name just a few) were not even playing in this side, to underscore that point.

And there are a host of others, mostly unknown yet, waiting in the wingsfor an opportunity to showcase their ability.

In 2018, the Asia Power Index report was first issued by The Lowy Institute, an Australian think tank. The evaluation of the index report encompasses 27 countries across the Asia-Pacific region.

And you realise exactly what Virat Kohli meant when he said at an on-field post-match interview, with his arm draped around a beaming young Shubman Gill,“We are in good hands,” as he saluted the coming of age of another great side in cricketing history.

A side spearheaded by the KL Rahuls, Shreyas Iyers, Axar Patels, Varun Chakravarthys and Kudeep Yadavs who contributed so much to this rousing victory.

We are indeed in good hands.

The views and opinions expressed are those of the author. The author is a veteran Wing Commander of the Indian Air Force365pp, who has played Ranji Trophy for Services.