Sheer dominance. If we describe the journey of these teams in the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy 2025, it would be these two words. The only difference is that New Zealand lost their league stage match against India, whereas the men in blue have been undefeated in the tournament.
The campaigns of both sides have been a lot different, as India has played all their matches in Dubai, whereas New Zealand has had to travel a lot to play their matches in different venues. However, the brand of cricket each of these teams has played has been nothing short of extraordinary.
Coming to the big IND vs NZ final, a lot of factors need to be taken into consideration. On paper, India looks like a more balanced team; however, New Zealand has world-class spinners, which can quickly become a weakness of the Indian batters. The conditions are more favourable for the Indian team as they hold the aces going into this final.
In the recent 5-6 years, New Zealand has been India’s nemesis. The 2019 ICC ODI World Cup semi-final, the 2021 ICC World Test Championship final, and not to forget, the whitewash in the test series at home for India. There is a score to settle on the cards for the men in blue apart from just the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
The final will be a thriller in every sense as the pitch will get slower as the match progresses. The team that keeps its composure and does not succumb to the pressure of the big match will prevail here and be the champions. The match will be played at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday, where you can expect a lot of fireworks and celebrations as we see off another ICC event and gear ourselves up for the Indian Premier League.
Who are the finalists of the Champions Trophy 2025?
After battling it out for more than 15 days with six other teams in the competition, India and New Zealand have emerged as the finalists of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. They will be playing in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Final against each other on March 9, 2025, at the Dubai International Stadium.
India vs New Zealand – Predicted Playing 11
Let us take a look at how the teams could shape up for the big final.
India Predicted 11
Outstanding Openers. Solid Middle-Order. Brilliant Finishers. Skilful Spinners. And the perfect fast bowler. India seems to have everything ready and covered for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Final against New Zealand. And if we talk about the fielding, there has only been one better side than India, which will be their opponent in this forthcoming match.
At least two batters from the top five have stepped up for the team in every match, which has helped them a lot in chasing totals this tournament. The finishers have also shown great composure and finished matches without any hiccups whenever the need has arisen.
The spinners have taken advantage of the conditions beautifully and have always restricted the opponent teams to a below-par total. One or the other bowler has taken wickets whenever the captain has asked. Mohammad Shami has also bowled well along with Hardik Pandya in the powerplay as well as the death overs.
This team is looking as solid as ever, as there are almost no weaknesses in this squad. This team is being termed as the best ODI team in the world, and rightly so; they have played like the best team in the tournament. We don’t expect any changes in this winning team for the upcoming Ind vs NZ encounter regardless of if the team bats first or second.
Predicted Playing 11: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammad Shami, and Varun Chakravarthy.
New Zealand Predicted 11
Having played on different pitches throughout this tournament, the New Zealand players have adapted to the conditions perfectly and have reached the final of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Their batters have put huge scores on the board; the bowlers have also been successful in restricting other teams to a low total as well.
However, the biggest plus point for this team has been their fielding. The way Glenn Phillips has set an example for everybody else in the outfield has been nothing short of spectacular. They have even converted the half chances into wickets, and that is what has landed them in this huge final against a tough opponent. In the league game against India, it was Glenn Phillips’ catch that landed them the wicket of Virat Kohli, who was looking to score big runs.
The batting unit has been phenomenal and is high in confidence after having a lot of runs under their belt in this whole tournament. Matt Henry has been the pick of the pacers, whereas Mitchell Santner has even turned the ball on flat pitches of Pakistan.
The management might think of bringing in Mark Chapman, who gives a little bit of spin bowling along with middle-order batting in place of William O’Rourke to strengthen their batting unit, but that would leave them with a lot of part-timers, which they don’t want in such an important match.
Predicted Playing 11: Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (wk), Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (c), Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, and William O’Rourke.
India vs New Zealand – Pitch and Weather Report
The average first innings score here at the Dubai International Stadium in the four matches that have been played till now is 245 runs. The pitch here has shown that even scores of 240-250 can be challenging in ODI cricket on a wicket where the ball is gripping dramatically.
Unlike the semi-final of the 2019 ODI World Cup between these two teams, rain is likely to stay away from this game, and we will get our ICC Champions Trophy 2025 winner on the same day. It has not been easy to decide what to do on this pitch after winning the toss; however, teams would be willing to put runs on the board first in this high-pressure final.
A score of around 250 would be the par score, whereas 270+ runs on the board in the first innings could be a winning total in this big final.
Where is the final of the Champions Trophy 2025?
The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Final will be played at the Dubai International Stadium in the United Arab Emirates. The stadium boasts a seating capacity of almost 25,000 spectators, and it is expected to be jam-packed on the day of the big game.
How many times has India won the Champions Trophy?
The Indian team has won the Champions Trophy two times since the inception of the tournament. They were first declared as the joint winners along with Sri Lanka in the year 2002, and the second time they won it was in 2013 when they beat England in the final. Apart from winning it two times, India has also been the runners-up twice and will now be playing their fifth final of the tournament, making them the most successful team in the history of the event.
Has New Zealand ever won the Champions Trophy?
Yes, the New Zealand team has won the Champions Trophy once. In the year 2000, New Zealand lifted the title by beating India in a close-fought final. The BlackCaps also lost a final in this tournament in 2009 against Australia. It will be their third final on Sunday in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
India vs New Zealand – Prediction and Betting Tips
It is time for some predictions as we get all ready for another IND vs NZ ICC knockout match. Which player could score the most runs, which bowler will be the saviour, and which team will lift the trophy? Find all the predictions below.
Highest Run-Scorer
Having scored 400+ runs at an average of over 50 in his last 10 matches, Shubman Gill has been in tremendous form in this format. He has been dismissed cheaply in the last two games, which makes us believe that a big innings is due, and what better stage than the final to do it for your team? He is predicted to be the highest run-scorer in this match.
Highest Wicket-Taker
When these two teams met in the group stage encounter, Varun Chakrvarthy bowled beautifully and took a fifer. We would expect a similar kind of performance from him in this game as well. However, Mitchell Santner has been bowling really well, and it will be a surprise if he doesn’t take the most number of wickets in this final.
Match Winner
Having lost to New Zealand in the recent ICC knockout matches, the Indian team would be itching to get a win here. The pitch, the odds, and the fans favour India over New Zealand in this match. Also looking at the team strength, it will be India’s game to lose as they seem to have all the bases covered.
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