On Sunday, India and New Zealand will face off in the 12th and final group-stage match of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, with the game set to begin at 2:30 PM IST. India aims for a convincing victory with a strong net run rate to surpass New Zealand and claim the top spot in Group A.
This match serves as the perfect preparation for the next stage of the tournament. So far in this tournament, India and New Zealand have not faced each other, but they both have crucial matches ahead.
Looking at recent form, New Zealand’s ODI performance closely mirrors India’s in world cricket. So far this year, the team has played eight One Day Internationals (ODIs) and lost only in one match against Sri Lanka in January.
Before the tournament, the Black Caps defeated South Africa and Pakistan in all three Tri-Nation matches. They also comfortably won both of their group-stage games.
India, after their convincing victory over Pakistan on February 23 in Dubai, has won nine out of ten matches this calendar year.
Even though they can afford to lose this match because they have already qualified for the semi-finals, defeating a tournament competitor must feel good as they advance to the knockout stages.
Players to watch:
New Zealand: Mitchael Bracewell
Following his return of 4/26 off 10 overs against Bangladesh in his most recent start, Bracewell is definitely in focus. He exploited Tigers batters who were aiming for the slow bowling to support the Kiwis’ tall pace attack. In his match against Pakistan he conceded only 38 runs from his 10 overs in another economical display spell but took only 1 wicket. The role of the right-arm off-spinner will be crucial against this fierce Indian batting dugout.
India: Mohammad Shami
India’s leading pacer, Mohammed Shami, dismantled Bangladesh’s batting lineup with a five-wicket haul but went wicketless against Pakistan. The spin brigade will smell blood in the middle overs if Shami can take care of New Zealand’s top order with an early breakthrough or two.
India Sqad:
Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohd. Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Varun Chakaravarthy.
New Zealand Sqad:
Mitchell Santner (Captain), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Kyle Jamieson, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Will O’Rourke, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Nathan Smith, Kane Williamson, Will Young, Jacob Duffy.
