WATCH | Did Rohit Sharma drop Champions Trophy 2025 by dropping Daryl Mitchell's catch?

New Zealand vs India  ICC Champions Trophy final: Rohit Sharma dropped Daryl Mitchell during the 35th over but later caught him off Mohammed Shami in the 46th.  

Standing at short mid-wicket, Sharma made a full-stretch jump to grab the ball that travelled above his head. The crowd and bowler Axar Patel thought for a moment that he had his man but the skipper couldn't hold on to the ball. The ball escaped through his fingers as he was slightly late to make the jump.

If the Indian captain had managed to hold on to the ball in the first chance, the New Zealand batter would have made just 37 runs. Thanks to the lifeline, the middle-order batter played a sensible innings of 63 runs from 101 balls -- top-scoring his side. Mitchell, otherwise an explosive batter, scored only three boundaries and took 91 balls to bring up his fifty.

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Given the situation the Kiwis were in at the Dubai International Stadium, it was crucial for Mitchell to hold back the temptation to go for big hits and hang around till the final overs of the innings. Mitchell brought up an important partnership of 53 runs with Glenn Phillips (34 off 52), frustrating the Indian bowlers for almost 14 overs. Has Rohit Sharma clung on to the catch, the stand could have been further cut short. 

Later, when Shami was brought back towards the end of the innings, Mitchell tried to clear a full, outside-off delivery over the covers. But he didn't get the elevation or connection he needed, giving a backtracking Rohit Sharma a comfortable catch.

New Zealand, after an early slip up managed to make a respectable 251/7 thanks to Mitchell and Micheal Bracewell's (53 not out off 40 balls) half-centuries.

Did Rohit Sharma drop the trophy when he dropped Mitchell? We will find out soon.