India and New Zealand will face each other in the Champions Trophy 2025 final on Sunday. Team India is unbeaten in the tournament so far, while New Zealand’s only loss came against Rohit Sharma’s team. This final promises to be a thrilling contest.
India is aiming for its third Champions Trophy title, while New Zealand is chasing its second. A crucial battle in this match will be between India’s spinners and New Zealand’s batsmen. To win, India must stop the in-form Kane Williamson and Rachin Ravindra from scoring big runs.
Since 2013, India has not won the Champions Trophy. The team might play with four spinners, considering the Dubai pitch, which helped spinners a lot in the match against Pakistan. However, New Zealand’s spinners will also test Indian batsmen. Earlier in the tournament, Indian batters played cautiously against spinners like Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Rishad Hossain from Bangladesh, and Abrar Ahmed from Pakistan, who were very economical. However, New Zealand’s spinners struggled against India, with Michael Bracewell conceding over six runs per over and Rachin Ravindra over five.
India has previously struggled against Mitchell Santner and Glenn Phillips in Test matches. Along with Bracewell, they will be key for New Zealand. Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, and KL Rahul must perform well against them. Kohli, known for stepping up in big matches, will be crucial. Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma will look to give India a strong start.
Before the tournament, India was criticized for picking five spinners – Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, and Washington Sundar – but their performances have helped India reach the final. The Dubai pitch favors spinners, and India might continue with four of them. Hardik Pandya has been in great form with both bat and ball, hitting massive sixes against Australia. Axar Patel and Jadeja are not only effective spinners but also valuable lower-order batsmen.
Also Read- IND vs NZ, Champions Trophy Final Pitch Report- Which Spinners Will Prove Lethal?
New Zealand coach Gary Stead believes India’s spin attack will be a big challenge but is confident in his team’s four spinners. He said, “They have top-quality spinners, and we must adapt to the conditions.” Varun Chakravarthy’s variations will be important, as he dismissed Santner with a 113 km/h delivery in the last match.
For New Zealand, Kane Williamson will be the key batter against spin. He has scored 2,952 ODI runs against spinners at an average of 47. Coach Stead said, “Kane is a big-match player. He has delivered many times for New Zealand and will try his best again.”
In the last match against Australia, India’s spinners were expensive, except for Varun Chakravarthy. If they repeat the same mistakes, it could cost them the title. Daryl Mitchell has been out of form, and New Zealand might replace him with left-handed all-rounder Mark Chapman. However, this is unlikely.
Another concern for New Zealand is Matt Henry’s injury. Henry took five wickets against India in the group stage, and his absence would be a big blow. They might bring in Nathan Smith or play Chapman instead of Henry, which would give them three pacers – Mitchell, O’Rourke, and Jamieson – and five spinners – Chapman, Rachin, Phillips, Bracewell, and Santner.
Possible playing 11:
India – Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, Mohammed Shami.
New Zealand – Mitchell Santner (captain), Rachin Ravindra, Michael Bracewell, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Will O’Rourke, Glenn Phillips, Kane Williamson, Will Young, Kyle Jamieson, Matt Henry or Mark Chapman.