NEW DELHI: Former England captain Michael Vaughan has heaped praise on India’s extraordinary bench strength following their historic ICC Champions Trophy victory over New Zealand on Sunday.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Vaughan suggested that even a second-string Indian side could have reached the final.
“Jaiswal, Varma, Sharma, SKY, Pant, Reddy, Sundar, Chahal, Arshdeep, Bumrah & Bishnoi… This team would have made it to the final as well IMO. The strength in Indian cricket in white-ball is off the scale,” he wrote.
India, led by Rohit Sharma, secured a record third Champions Trophy title with a flawless run through the tournament, capped off by a four-wicket win over the Blackcaps in a tense final.
Rohit’s authoritative 76 off 83 balls set the tone in a tricky 252-run chase, as India cruised home with an over to spare.
Vaughan’s comments come in the wake of India’s remarkable consistency across formats, and highlight the incredible depth of talent in Indian cricket.
The list he shared includes several promising young players like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, and Rinku Singh, along with experienced campaigners such as Rishabh Pant, Suryakumar Yadav, and Jasprit Bumrah.
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While the playing XI featured seasoned performers like Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, and Jadeja, many rising stars watched from the sidelines — an indication of just how competitive India’s pool of talent has become.
Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy choked New Zealand with spin, while Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, and Rahul delivered crucial contributions in the middle order.
