It was the day when MS Dhoni, with his leadership skills, provided India the Champions Trophy 2013 after beating England in the final from a position where, for once, it looked impossible to earn the victory for the Blue Brigade. From being the villain at one stage, Ishant Sharma became the hero in between six deliveries. 

The former left-handed batter, Eoin Morgan, whose dismissal changed the game, lauded the leadership of the Indian captain that evening. He thought that the home side was well ahead in the contest, with the runs coming in his partnership with Ravi Bopara. The former England batter also displayed his surprise when Dhoni threw the ball to Ishant.

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‘We had the game in the bag, and it’s one of the first times in a 50-over game as an ODI side for England, we were at the point of winning the tournament. We were going well, and they had to make changes to shift the momentum. I was at the crease with Ravi Bopara, and the partnership was going well with a nice flow for us in the game.’ Morgan expressed in a recent video.

Watch: Eoin Morgan highlights MS Dhoni’s leadership brilliance during 2013 Champions Trophy

‘And both of us were shocked when MS Dhoni gave the ball to Ishant Sharma, who didn’t have a great day before that. And Ravi thought that it was a great chance to accelerate.’ The southpaw added as the lanky pacer sent back both the batters in the middle of six deliveries to pack the game.

Dhoni the captain peaked here 🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/dtrUjLhkGC

— ` (@WorshipDhoni) July 30, 2025

Then it was the famous moment when James Tradewell missed the ball alongside Dhoni, but it didn’t matter as they had already earned the victory to lift the title.

‘Once you start, you have to go through everything, but it’s important to be positive always. When we started, I told them to look for a good start, which is critical. Don’t think about the result. And the first and foremost thing was not to look up. God is not going to come and save us. You have to fight it out. We are the number one-ranked team. If we lose, they have to make the runs. We won’t make it easy for them.’ Dhoni spoke at the post-match press conference.

A flurry of events from beginning to end. The rain struck the final of the 2013 Champions Trophy at Birmingham, reduced to a 20-over match, as there was no reserve day. India and England, two finalists, were under sudden pressure due to over-deduction and the weather conditions.

Under the damp conditions, Ravi Bopara turned into a beast with the ball. He took the wickets of Shikhar Dhawan, Suresh Raina, and then the skipper of team India, Mahendra Singh Dhoni. India's batting unit, in that match, could be more fragile if there were no Dhawan (31), Virat Kohli (43), or Ravindra Jadeja (33*). The boys in blue somehow got 129 for 7 on the scoreboard.

The target was definitely not something to cheer about. When India looked in deep trouble, Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin proved their effectiveness, and Ishan Sharma, the most expensive bowler of the game for his side, claimed a couple of wickets in the final over to register a win in the final of the ICC Champions Trophy, dated June 23, 2013.

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India utilised the conditions well

Ashwin took two scalps with a 3.75 run rate, and Jadeja bagged two after scoring an unbeaten 33-run knock. India won the match by only 5 runs. Jonathan Trott, Eoin Morgan, and Ravi Bopara tried their best to interrupt India's trajectory to glory, but they ran out of luck. 

MS Dhoni, the happiest captain on the planet that day, said during the presentation ceremony, "The shower helped us because the ball was gripping later on. It's important to be positive. I said, 'We are the No. 1-ranked team; let's play like that.' I knew the two overs of Powerplay were crucial. I wanted to make them slog off the spinners. They all handled the pressure really well. In international cricket people talk about technique, but it's the ones that deal with the pressure."