New Zealand's Will Young was asked about avenging the painful Champions Trophy 2025 final defeat to India ahead of the ODI series against Men in Blue, which is slated to start from January 11. When Young last donned the New Zealand colors in the Indian subcontinent, he departed as the Player of the Series following the Black Caps historic 3-0 Test whitewash of India in 2024. That series remains a dark chapter in Indian cricket history. Returning to the region with a refreshed Kiwi squad, Young reflected on that achievement at the Baroda Cricket Association Stadium, unequivocally ranking it as the pinnacle of his Test career to date.
Different challenge than Champions Trophy: Will Young on ODIs vs India
The cricketing landscape has shifted since that landmark victory, with India recently reclaiming some ground in the white-ball arena. Rohit Sharma’s side got the better of New Zealand in last year’s Champions Trophy final, but Young insists that 'revenge' is not the primary motivator for this tour. Instead, the focus remains on the upcoming challenge, which features a heavy white-ball schedule consisting of three ODIs and five T20Is against the formidable Indian side.
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“It’s a completely different challenge (than) that was the Champions Trophy, they were different sides so that’s behind us. It’s not even in our minds at all, we’re excited by a three-match bilateral series in one-day cricket and when the game starts,” Young told media ahead of the first ODI against India.
As the T20 World Cup approaches, Young acknowledges that the upcoming three-match ODI series might be overshadowed by the looming global tournament. While he recognizes that the 50-over format has lost some of its traditional luster due to the overwhelming popularity and frequency of T20Is, he believes it still holds a vital place in the international cricket calendar.
ODI is a slightly different format from Test and T20 cricket: Young
Young remains a staunch defender of the format's significance, pointing to the immense prestige and 'wonderful history' associated with its major world events. Specifically citing the ODI World Cup and the Champions Trophy, he emphasized that the depth and heritage of these competitions ensure the 50-over game remains a pinnacle of achievement for players and fans alike.
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“Especially with the T20 World Cup round the corner, it is easy to have the series lost in the greater context. (But) when you’re playing for your country, there should always be those two things (passion and motivation). It is a slightly different format from Test and T20 cricket, and these days you probably play a little bit less as well. But you’ve got to remember, there’s still two ICC world events — the Champions Trophy and the World Cup — which has had so much wonderful history over such a long time,” Young added.
India's ODI squad:
India’s ODI squad for New Zealand series: Shubman Gill (C), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (WK), Shreyas Iyer (VC)*, Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohd Siraj, Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav, Rishabh Pant (WK), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Arshdeep Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal.
New Zealand's ODI squad:
Michael Bracewell (capt), Adithya Ashok, Kristian Clarke, Josh Clarkson, Devon Conway, Zak Foulkes, Mitch Hay (wk), Kule Jamieson, Nick Kelly, Jayden Lennox, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Glenn Phillips, Michael Rae, Will Young