High-flying India will be locking horns against New Zealand in the final of the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy 2025. The game is scheduled to be played on Sunday (March 9) at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai.
After a loss against India in their final group game, New Zealand bounced back in style and defeated South Africa in the semifinal. The Black Caps came up with a clinical display at the Gaddafi Stadium to setup a mouthwatering clash with India. The Mitchell Santner-led team thrashed South Africa by 50 runs in the semifinal.
India, on the other hand, has yet to lose a game in the ongoing tournament. In the group stage, they beat Bangladesh, Pakistan, and New Zealand to top the points table. In the semifinal, the Rohit Sharma-led side beat the reigning world champions Australia by 4 wickets to qualify for the final.
With India and New Zealand now all set to take on each other in the Champions Trophy final, here is the IND vs NZ match preview.
IND vs NZ Match Preview- ICC Champions Trophy 2025, Final:
IND vs NZ, Date and Venue:
The upcoming IND vs NZ match will be played on Sunday (March 9) at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai. The match will be played from 02:30 PM (IST).
Squads:
India:
Rohit Sharma(c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul(w), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakravarthy, Arshdeep Singh
New Zealand:
Will Young, Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham(w), Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner(c), Nathan Smith, Matt Henry, William O’Rourke, Rachin Ravindra, Mark Chapman, Kyle Jamieson, Jacob Duffy
IND vs NZ key battles:
Virat Kohli vs Mitchell Santner:
This is the one battle that could decide the fate of the upcoming IND vs NZ final. Kohli loves to deliver when the stakes are high and he will be eyeing another impactful outing in the final.
In the semifinal against Australia, the former India captain delivered a Player of the Match performance by playing a fine knock of 84 runs. Last year, he had top-scored for India in the T20 World Cup final and will look to star with the bat in another final.
With Kohli in good form, New Zealand will be hoping to get his wicket as early as possible. The Black Caps will be relying on their captain Mitchell Santner for the prized wicket. Santner picked up 3 wickets in the last game against South Africa and will be fancying his chances against Kohli.
Kane Williamson vs Varun Chakravarthy:
This is another battle that could very well decide the fate of the game. Both Kane Williamson and Varun Chakravarthy are in good form at the moment.
After starting his campaign with knocks of 1 and 5, Williamson has hit top gear. He scored 81 runs against India before scoring 102 against South Africa. With form on his side, the former New Zealand captain will be eyeing another impactful knock with the bat in the upcoming final.
On the other hand, Chakravarthy has picked up 7 wickets in his last two games. The mystery spinner picked up 5 wickets against New Zealand before taking 2 wickets against Australia in the semifinal.
Rachin Ravindra vs Mohammed Shami:
The battle between Rachin Ravindra and Mohammed Shami could set the tone for the rest of the innings. Ravindra has been in good form in the ongoing tournament. The southpaw has already scored two centuries in the tournament, including one against South Africa in the semifinal.
With form on his side, Ravindra will look to give New Zealand a good start with the bat in the upcoming game. On the other hand, the onus will be on Shami to give India a good start with the ball in the IND vs NZ final. He gave India a strong start by dismissing Cooper Connolly for a duck in the semifinal and will look to make a similar impact in the final as well.
IND vs NZ Key Players:
IND – Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel and Varun Chakravarthy will be the key players for India.
NZ – Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips and Mitchell Santner will be the key players for New Zealand.
IND vs NZ Weather And Pitch Report:
A clear and sunny day is expected in Dubai on the game day. There is no forecast of rain with a maximum temperature of 34 degrees Celsius. After the sunset, the temperature is expected to hover in the mid 20s.
The pitch is expected to be on the slower side. Bowlers, especially spinners, are expected to dominate the proceedings in the final. Anything above 250 will be a very good total.
Conclusion:
Both India and New Zealand are in good form at the moment and will look to make the most of it by winning the all-important final.
