Mohammed Shami Records One of India’s Most Expensive Spells in Champions Trophy Final

India’s experienced fast bowler Mohammed Shami endured a tough outing in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final against New Zealand in Dubai, setting an unwanted record for his team. Despite being one of India’s top wicket-takers in the tournament, Shami struggled to contain the opposition, conceding 74 runs in his nine overs while picking up just one wicket. His expensive spell placed him second on the list of most runs conceded by an Indian bowler in a single Champions Trophy match. The record remains with Umesh Yadav, who gave away 75 runs in his 10-over spell against South Africa in the 2013 edition in Cardiff.

The overall record for the most runs conceded in a Champions Trophy match belongs to former Pakistan fast bowler Wahab Riaz. He had an expensive outing against India in the 2017 edition in Birmingham, leaking 87 runs in 8.4 overs without taking a wicket.

Shami’s campaign in the tournament concluded with a total of nine wickets from five matches at an average of 25.88. His tally was matched by India’s mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy, who took nine wickets in just three matches with an impressive average of 15.11. However, India’s pace attack struggled in the final, putting added pressure on the spin department. Shami and Hardik Pandya, India’s frontline pacers, collectively conceded 104 runs in just 12 overs, with an economy rate of 8.67.

In contrast, India’s spin quartet played a decisive role in controlling New Zealand’s scoring. Varun Chakravarthy (2/45), Kuldeep Yadav (2/40), Axar Patel (0/29), and Ravindra Jadeja (1/30) combined to take five wickets while conceding only 144 runs in 38 overs at an economy rate of just 3.79. Their disciplined effort restricted New Zealand’s momentum, forcing them to work hard for runs.

New Zealand, after opting to bat first, faced early setbacks but managed to recover thanks to crucial contributions from Daryl Mitchell and Michael Bracewell. Mitchell played a steady knock of 63 off 101 balls, while Bracewell’s late fireworks saw him remain unbeaten on 53 off just 40 deliveries. Their efforts helped New Zealand post a competitive total of 251/7 in their allotted 50 overs.