India's Triumphant Run to the Title: A Reward for the Collective

Roles Defined and Each Member Playing His Part; Champions Trophy Success Was All About Teamwork

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DUBAI: "This trophy is no less," skipper Rohit Sharma said, admiring the glittering Champions Trophy. "Ask me, what it has taken to get it."

India's Champions Trophy triumph on Sunday will be remembered for many things. More than anything else, for the team being greater than the sum of its parts. India have won bigger trophies before. But when was the last time you struggled to pick an Indian name for Player-of-the-Tournament when they had won the title?

Shreyas Iyer got the most runs for India without scoring a single hundred. He got out on 48 in the final in search of another boundary. In another India team, he may have wanted to protect his wicket, take the match deep. Iyer was clear he must not allow the asking rate to climb. If he got out in the process, the next man would take over.

The next man in was KL Rahul, whose job it was to stay till the end. Quite often, his partner would be Hardik Pandya, willing to take the aerial route. He would do that as he was simply playing to his strength. "Bachpan se chakke marne ka shauk hai. Pehle taakat nahi thi. (I've loved hitting sixes since childhood. I just didn't have the strength earlier)," he told reporters.