IND vs NZ: The highly awaited final of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 between India and New Zealand is in progress at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on March 9. The match is expected to be a thrilling encounter between two cricketing giants. Here’s a comprehensive analysis of the latest updates and the playing XIs of both teams.
IND vs NZ Toss Update: Mitchell Santner Wins the Toss and Elects to Bat
At a pivotal juncture at the beginning of the final, New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner won the toss and elected to bat. Santner said the pitch seemed to be the same as the one they played on against India in the group stages, and he feels scoring runs would be the best approach.
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As for Santner, there was one forced change in the New Zealand team. Matt Henry was out of the picture, a shoulder injury sustained during the semifinal against South Africa was a big loss for New Zealand because his five-wicket performance led to victory against India in the group stage. Nathan Smith entered the one-day team as a replacement for Henry.
Santner’s views on the decision: “We’ll have a bat first. Seems like a good wicket, not unlike what we played with India here a week back. Want to get some runs on the board and see where it takes us. Few blue shirts we’re looking at, a good crowd, and good ground.
Slightly different from what we have in Pakistan. The way India played in what they achieved out of it, we just want it to slow up a bit later. Different people have risen to the occasion at different times, and we want them to spark from the word go,” he stated after the toss.
Rohit Sharma’s Toss Reaction in Champions Trophy 2025
India captain Rohit Sharma was once again on the wrong side of the coin — it was his 12th ODI loss on the trot. But Rohit was as composed and confident as ever, repeating that the team was not worrying much about the toss. India has succeeded while chasing as well as setting totals in the tournament so far, which has generated their confidence in all kinds of conditions.
Rohit made it very evident that he was retaining the winning combination and was not going to make any alteration to the side that had taken them to the final: “We’ve been here enough, batted first and bowled first, don’t mind batting second. It hasn’t changed much; we’ve chased and won as well.
It does give you a lot of confidence and takes the toss away from the game. At the end of the day, what matters is how well you play. That’s what we’ve spoken about in the dressing room — not to worry about the toss and just play well, which is what we have done and need to do today as well,” Rohit said.
Playing XIs: India vs New Zealand
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Following are the playing XIs of both teams for the final: India Playing XI:
– Rohit Sharma (c)
– Shubman Gill
– Virat Kohli
– Shreyas Iyer
– Axar Patel
– KL Rahul (w)
– Hardik Pandya
– Ravindra Jadeja
– Mohammed Shami
– Kuldeep Yadav
– Varun Chakravarthy
New Zealand Playing XI:
– Will Young
– Rachin Ravindra
– Kane Williamson
– Daryl Mitchell
– Tom Latham (w)
– Glenn Phillips
– Michael Bracewell
– Mitchell Santner (c)
– Nathan Smith
– Kyle Jamieson
– William O’Rourke
Head-to-Head: India vs New Zealand in ODIs
India and New Zealand have played each other 119 times in One Day Internationals. India has won 61 of these matches, while New Zealand has won 50. Seven of their matches have been no result, and one match has been tied.
In the Champions Trophy history, the two sides have clashed twice. The first was in the 2000 final, where New Zealand defeated India by four wickets to win their first-ever Champions Trophy. Almost 25 years later, India and New Zealand clashed again in the group stages of the 2025 Champions Trophy. This time around, India defeated New Zealand by 44 runs, with Varun Chakravarthy producing a great performance by taking a five-wicket haul on his Champions Trophy debut.
Looking Ahead: What to Expect in the Final
Both teams have great players, so this final is likely to be a tough battle. India comes into the match with a lot of confidence, having remained unbeaten till now in the tournament.
Their batting order, headed by Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, has been unstoppable, supported by other young players such as Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer. Indian bowling ranks, which have the likes of Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, and Mohammed Shami, will be seeking to come through in the crunch moment.
New Zealand, on the other hand, with the experience of Kane Williamson, the all-round skills of Mitchell Santner, and the power-hitting capability of Glenn Phillips and Daryl Mitchell, will try to post a challenging total.
The sudden change of introducing Nathan Smith in place of Matt Henry may have changed their bowling balance, but the Kiwis will be banking on their overall experience and depth in the team to pose a challenge to India in this high-pressure match.
While both teams prepare for the clash at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, the world will be watching this thrilling final with bated breath. Whether it is India’s robust all-round performance or New Zealand’s grit, the platform is set for a thrilling contest in the Champions Trophy 2025.
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