In the highly anticipated ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final, New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner won the toss and decided to bat first against India at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.
New Zealand’s choice to bat first is a strategic move aimed at setting a competitive total on the board. The team hopes to capitalize on the early conditions and build a solid foundation before the pitch becomes more conducive to spin.
India, on the other hand, remains unbeaten in the tournament and will look to utilize their spinners to restrict New Zealand’s scoring.
India defeated New Zealand in their previous encounter in the group stage, and they will be confident going into this match. However, New Zealand seeks to end a long drought in major white-ball finals and will be determined to upset the unbeaten Indian side.
The match promises to be an exciting contest between two strong teams, with New Zealand aiming to set a challenging target and India looking to maintain their unbeaten run in the tournament.
India, having declined to play in host nation Pakistan, have delivered dominant performances to secure victories in all four of their matches in the United Arab Emirates. This includes a 44-run group-stage win over the Black Caps last weekend, though both teams had already qualified for the semi-finals by then.
As the strong favorites to clinch a record third Champions Trophy, Rohit Sharma’s squad will go up against a formidable New Zealand side in the first major white-ball final between the two teams in 25 years.
Teams
India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammad Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Varun Chakaravarthy.
New Zealand: Mitchell Santner (c), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Will O’Rourke, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Nathan Smith, Kane Williamson, Will Young, Jacob Duffy.
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