Earlier this month, Team India clinched their third Champions Trophy title in Dubai. The Rohit Sharma-led side won the ICC tournament without dropping a single match.

While the Men in Blue defeated Bangladesh, Pakistan and New Zealand in the group-stage, they got the better of Australia and the Kiwis in the semi-final and final respectively to lift the coveted trophy.

India might have been dominant right through the marquee event, but wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav has admitted that they didn’t want to face Australia in the final.

Historically, Australia have had an upper hand over India in the finals of ICC tournaments, ranging from the ODI World Cup to the World Test Championship.

Australia had ended India’s unbeaten run in the 2023 World Cup by defeating them in the title clash at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad.

Kuldeep recalled how India were glad to face the Aussies in the semifinals and not the finals of the Champions Trophy 2025.

“I had Hernia surgery in November, so it was difficult to come back and find the same rhythm. I believe that it was a good tournament for us. We wanted to face Australia in the semi-final; we didn’t want to play them in the final," Kuldeep told Michael Clarke while speaking on the Beyond 23 Cricket Podcast.

“It’s a different pressure. Much better to play them in the semifinal rather than in the finals," he added.

The Indian team had endured five tough months in international cricket leading up to the Champions Trophy. They failed to qualify for the WTC final after suffering a humiliating 0-3 whitewash in the home Test series against New Zealand, followed by the Border-Gavaskar Trophy debacle on Australian soil.

“We lost the series against Australia and there was a lot of media attention and the BCCI got strict as well. You have to be on your toes every series and that’s how it works here in India," Kuldeep stated.

“You can’t take your place in the team for granted, because there are so many players coming up," he further remarked