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New Zealand, who only fell to the Men in Blue at the same venue last Sunday, will play the undefeated Indian team. India has won their previous three games since the 2023 World Cup, despite the Blackcaps being a pain in the Indians' side in ICC matches. However, under the wise leadership of Mitchell Santner, New Zealand managed to contain the Indian batting, but they lost the match after being duped by Varun Chakarvarthy's enigmatic spin in the second innings. However, Blackcaps would be better prepared to handle his wily variations if they had already faced him once at the same location.
On Sunday, March 9, India and New Zealand will square off in the Champions Trophy 2025 final in Dubai. Both teams are evenly matched, just as they were over 25 years ago, in this rematch of the 2000 final, which took place when the competition was called as the ICC Knockouts. The encounter has all the makings of a classic, with an equal number of match winners and superstars.
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India will be the clear favorite going into the competition, but by a narrow margin. The Indian squad has been outstanding while chasing at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, where they have played all of their games. They have won three of their last four chasing games, with players like Shreyas Iyer and Virat Kohli contributing significantly to the wins. They only defended a score in their match against New Zealand on March 2, when they won thanks to a 5-wicket haul from Varun Chakravarthy.
As the Blackcaps advance to the final of yet another ICC event, the defeat to India was a little setback in an incredible tournament. After defeating hosts Pakistan handily in their opening game, New Zealand secured their spot in the semi-finals by defeating Bangladesh in a challenging run chase.
With hundreds from Rachin Ravindra and Kane Williamson, as well as some helpful cameos from Glenn Phillips and Daryl Mitchell, New Zealand put on a batting clinic against South Africa in the final four stage. To complete the victory, a superb bowling display followed this. Both teams will try to give it their all in Dubai since an ICC crown is at stake.
IND vs NZ Possible Playing XIs
India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy
New Zealand: Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (wk), Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (c), Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, William O’Rourke.
