The Champions Trophy 2025 final will see India face off against New Zealand in Dubai on Sunday (March 9), in a rematch from their previous encounter where India emerged victorious. India remains unbeaten in the tournament, while New Zealand has secured their spot by playing across all four different venues. New Zealand, having played once in Dubai, appear to be well-equipped to challenge India. Despite India’s recent success over New Zealand, with six consecutive wins in ODIs, including three in ICC events, New Zealand remains a formidable opponent.
Both teams have key selection decisions to make, with India contemplating bringing in an additional seamer in place of Kuldeep Yadav, while New Zealand may consider including another left-handed batter in Devon Conway. The pitch in Dubai has been slow and offers assistance to both spin and seam bowlers, with teams whose spinners have excelled typically coming out on top. India’s spinners, in particular, have been effective, with a high percentage of balls bowled above 90 kph and projected to hit the stumps.
Matt Henry, New Zealand’s top bowler, has had success against India’s top order, posing a significant threat. India’s openers will need to navigate the early overs carefully, especially if Henry is fit to play despite a shoulder injury sustained in the semifinal. New Zealand’s spin duo, Mitchell Santner and Michael Bracewell, will be tasked with challenging India’s middle-order, led by Virat Kohli, who has had some struggles against left-arm spin in recent years.
Overall, the final promises to be a thrilling encounter between two strong teams in the Champions Trophy 2025. Santner has dismissed Kohli three times in ODIs and has restricted his scoring rate to 69.49 against the New Zealand skipper across 180 balls. Kohli has managed to score 113 runs at a strike rate of 73.85 against spin in this tournament, but he has only faced left-arm spin from part-timers Khushdil Shah and Cooper Connolly. He has been playing a higher percentage of balls off the back foot in this series, a departure from his usual approach. If the Dubai track remains slow, Kohli will need to adapt quickly to find scoring opportunities.
In the group stage match between the two sides, Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel formed a crucial partnership that rescued India from a top-order collapse and helped them post a challenging total. Both batsmen have been innovative in their approach against spin, using different movements around the crease and employing sweeps to unsettle the bowlers.
Santner has been in fine form, picking up seven wickets in four games despite three of those matches being played in Pakistan. Shubman Gill has been the only Indian batter who has been able to score runs against Santner consistently, playing well off both the back foot and coming down the track.
Rachin is one run behind the tournament’s leading run-scorer Ben Duckett despite missing the opening game. He has scored centuries against Bangladesh and South Africa, and his ability to bat deep could pose a challenge for India’s spinners.
India’s spinners have been dominant in the tournament, but they have struggled against the sweep shot on occasion. New Zealand, known for using the sweep shot frequently, struggled to score off it against India’s spinners. Daryl Mitchell, a key proponent of the sweep shot, failed to use it effectively against India’s spinners in the previous match.
New Zealand has displayed exceptional fielding skills throughout the competition, showcasing their athleticism in their game against India. New Zealand leads the fielding efficiency in the CT 2025 tournament with a catching efficiency of 91.1%, outshining other teams. India, on the other hand, has been struggling with dropped catches and missed stumpings, although their bowlers have been creating opportunities to make up for it. In a game where small margins can make a huge difference, New Zealand’s ability to convert half-chances and save runs sets them apart from the rest. The table shows a comparison of fielding statistics among various teams in the tournament, with South Africa, Australia, and India following New Zealand in terms of catching efficiency. This highlights the importance of sharp fielding skills in determining the outcome of matches.
Follow Franchise Cricket for more Champions Trophy news.
