Cricketing great Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, and Ajay Jadeja heaped admiration on India's cricket team after they defeated Australia by four wickets in Dubai on Tuesday to advance to the Champions Trophy 2025 final. 

Virat Kohli's spectacular 84 on a difficult surface, Mohammed Shami's three-wicket haul, and Rohit Sharma's savvy captaincy all contributed to Team India's comfortable victory over the tenacious Australians.

The victory in the Champions Trophy 2025 semi-finals also helped Rohit set a new record, being the first captain to reach the finals of all four major ICC competitions.  Rohit led India to the ODI World Cup and World Test Championship finals in 2023, but lost both to Australia. 

In 2024, he led India into the T20 World Cup final, where they defeated South Africa to break their ICC title jinx and they will now be playing in the Champions Trophy 2025 final on Sunday.

Former India batter Ajay Jadeja was quick to point out the Indian cricket team’s recent successful run across different ICC tournaments.

“It seems like it was a walk in the park. We have been in the finals of all ICC tournaments in the last 1-2 years,” Jadeja said on DP World Dressing Room show.

Bowling great Wasim Akram, however, was quick to point out that Jadeja wasn’t rubbing it in as he was only stating a fact.

“He is stating the fact. They should be proud, they should be happy and they should be rubbing it in,” Wasim said.

“They have made us so helpless that we can’t say a word,” Waqar added.

The three former cricketers then discussed Kohli and his masterful knock as he completed 8,000 runs in chases in ODIs. Ajay Jadeja praised Kohli for controlling the middle overs on a difficult pitch, once again in a crucial game, and never allowing the squad to be put under pressure.

“It’s just Virat Kohli as you know him. The bigger the game, he lifts his spirits. Got a hundred in the last game and he wasn’t going to throw it away (today). “It did surprise me as he generally finishes the game. But in the troubled period, he was in control and never allowed the questions to arise that there’s going to be pressure or let’s talk about the pitch. He looked in control. It happens on a flat pitch, but this wasn’t a flat pitch. That control was there to see, and that is why he is the chase master,” Jadeja said.

Wasim Akram praised Team India and its fans on reaching the Champions Trophy 2025 final, highlighting how India's approach of including six proper bowlers in the starting XI once again proved useful in a key match.

“Congratulations to Team India and fans. Congratulations, you are in the final once again… Rohit said he always wanted a sixth bowler in ODIs. This is the learning curve for all teams. When you pick the squad, there has to be a cricketer who gives the captain at least five-and-half bowling options. Five regular bowlers and a sixth bowler who can bowl a few overs in case someone is having a bad day. You can’t play ODI cricket in this era with four bowlers and two part-timers,” Akram said, indicating the mistake the Pakistan cricket team made.

Bowling great Waqar Younis pointed out Rohit’s tactical brilliance of bringing Varun Chakravarthy as early as in the ninth over, which led to Travis Head’s dismissal for just 39.

“That was a good move from Rohit also, to bring him (Chakravarthy) at that time as it was complete chaos at that time with Head getting into the groove.

Head also had a poor start where he was missing the balls, but suddenly he made a few hits and then he started scoring. It was a great move by Rohit to bring him on. As Nikhil said, maybe it would be difficult for him with the new ball, but that was not the case. From the round the wicket with the new ball, the ball bounced a bit and moved away a little. And as said earlier, if you have not played against him, even playing out a few deliveries won’t help,” Waqar added.

Akram also praised Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya, who made the latter stages of the chase appear easy by hitting three sixes and scoring a fast 28 off 24 as India triumphed with 11 balls remaining. Pandya also dismissed Adam Zampa while bowling.

“He (Pandya) has confidence in his ability when he comes to bowl, bat or field. He is always happy. He hit those sixes while standing. He is powerful plus confidence does matter. Confidence matters so that I will win the match for the team and not put the responsibility on the next batter. That’s what Pandya is as a cricketer. And in this day and age, I don’t think there’s an all-rounder like him in white-ball cricket,” Akram said.

The Sunday’s summit clash will be India’s fifth Champiosn Trophy final. They won the tournament in 2002 and 2013.