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In the 2025 Champions Trophy final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday (March 9), Mitchell Santner's New Zealand gave Rohit Sharma-led Indian cricket team a target of 252 after winning the toss and choosing to bat first. India will have to fight against history to surpass the third-highest first-innings total in the tournament final.
Highest successful chase in Champions Trophy Final
Prior to this match, New Zealand's 265 to defeat India by four wickets in the second edition of the Champions Trophy in 2000 (then known as the ICC KnockOut) was the highest score pursued in a final. South Africa's pursuit of 246 with four wickets remaining against the West Indies in the first edition in 1998 ranks second on the list. Since it was renamed in 2002, no team has ever chased more than 250 runs to win the championship.
No side has ever scored more than 300 runs in a Champions Trophy final, with the exception of the 2017 tournament, when Pakistan defeated India with 338/4 in the first innings. Rain has occasionally ruined potentially high-scoring games in the competition, such as in 2002, 2006, and 2013, but most matches have been low-scoring.
India's outstanding performance with the ball, driven by the spinners, allowed them to limit the Black Caps to 251/7 on the slow-turning Dubai ground. Will Young, the opener, was first removed by Varun Chakaravarthy in the eighth over. Rachin Ravindra and Kane Williamson were then quickly removed by Kuldeep Yadav.
While Daryl Mitchell remained on the other end for his 63 (101) in the middle overs, Ravindra Jadeja and Chakaravarthy removed Glenn Phillips and Tom Latham. Glenn Phillips and Michael Bracewell both made strong cameos that enabled the Kiwis to surpass the par total.
