India’s fielding woes continued to plague them in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final against New Zealand, with several crucial catches being dropped. The trend began early when Mohammed Shami failed to hold onto a straightforward caught-and-bowled chance off RachinRavindra, struggling with a strapped hand. Shreyas Iyer also dropped Ravindra in the deep, despite covering significant ground.

The fielding lapses persisted as Rohit Sharma missed a leaping chance at mid-wicket, and Shubman Gill failed to hold onto a dipping pull shot from Glenn Phillips at deep mid-wicket. These errors added to India’s tournament tally of dropped catches, now standing at 11, with a catch efficiency of 67%—the joint second-worst alongside Bangladesh.

In stark contrast, New Zealand has set a high standard with a tournament-best catch efficiency of 91%. India’s inability to capitalize on these opportunities could prove costly, especially in a high-stakes final. Despite their strong batting and bowling performances throughout the tournament, India’s fielding has repeatedly let them down, leaving fans frustrated and questioning their overall team performance.