The final of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 is set to be contested between India vs New Zealand Final Preview on 9 March 2025 at the Dubai International Stadium. The highly anticipated encounter will commence at 1:00 PM local time (9:00 AM GMT, 1:00 AM PST). As the competition nears its culmination, cricket fans from all over the world are keenly awaiting an enthralling battle between these two cricketing giants.
Tournament Journey and Recent Form
India’s Journey to the Trophy
India have been a dominating team in this tournament, retaining an unbroken record. Their journey has been marked by lopsided victories:
Group Stage:
Beated Bangladesh by 6 wickets.
Beated Pakistan by 6 wickets.
Won vs New Zealand by 44 runs.
Semi-final:
Coming in pursuit of 265, India defeated Australia by 4 wickets due to a clutch innings of 84 by Virat Kohli.
India’s success lies in their balanced team, with a strong batting order and a spin bowling unit that has continued to give opposition fits.
New Zealand’s road to the final
New Zealand’s journey has been characterized by resilience and flexibility:
Group stage:
Beat Pakistan by 4 wickets.
Beat Bangladesh by 85 runs.
Lost to India by 44 runs.
Semi-final:
Rachan Ravindra’s 108 and Kane Williamson’s 102 helped them to a convincing 50-run victory over South Africa.
New Zealand have shown their resilience to recover from adversity and play under pressure, a major reason for their title aspirations.
Squad Analysis and Key Players
India Squad
Batting:
Rohit Sharma (captain)
Shubman Gill
Virat Kohli
Shriyas Iyer
KL Rahul
Rishabh Pant
Kohli was in good touch with a century against Pakistan and an 84-run knock in the semi-final. Shubman Gill’s 101 not out against Bangladesh showcased the strength of India’s batting.
Bowling:
Mohammad Shami.
Kuldeep Yadav
Varun Chakraborty.
Shami’s five-wicket performance against Bangladesh and three wickets in the semi-final, along with Chakraborty’s five-wicket performance against New Zealand, make India’s bowling line-up strong.
New Zealand Team
Batting:
Kane Williamson
Rachin Ravindra
Devon Conway
Glenn Phillips
Mark Chapman
Williamson and Ravindra were instrumental, both scoring a century in the semi-final. Phillips’ 49-run contribution against South Africa provided depth.
Bowling:
Mitchell Santner
Kyle Jamieson
Santner, with three wickets in the semi-final, leads the spin attack, while Henry’s early successes have been important.
Strengths and Weaknesses
India’s strengths
A balanced batting line-up with several match-winners.
A potent spin attack, ideal for the Dubai pitch conditions.
Experience in high-pressure games, as seen in their semi-final performance.
India’s weaknesses
A poor record in the toss, losing 13 consecutive ODIs.
Occasional instability in the middle order, although recent matches have shown improvement.
New Zealand’s strengths
A solid top order led by Williamson and Ravindra.
An even bowling attack, with good spinners and fast bowlers.
An ICC tournament track record.
Weaknesses of New Zealand
Over-reliance on top-order batsmen; middle-order associations to be improved.
A psychological deficit due to a loss against India earlier in the group stage.
Pitch conditions and strategic options
The pitch at the Dubai International Stadium has tended to assist spin bowling. India’s Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav, with 21 wickets together in the tournament, might prove to be decisive. New Zealand’s Mitchell Santner’s 17 wickets will also prove to be major players.
Batting first versus chasing
If India are batting first, they will aim to utilize their deep batting resources to pursue a total of 250-270.
If New Zealand bat first, they can play at a consistent rate for 40 overs before going at full throttle in the final 10.
If India are chasing, their familiarity with Kohli and Gill could be the turning point, and New Zealand will depend on Williamson and Ravindra.
Head-to-head and context
India defeated New Zealand in their group stage encounter by 44 runs, with five wickets from Chakravarthy proving decisive. Although India have dominated recent ICC encounters, New Zealand’s performance in the tournament knockouts makes them a force to be reckoned with.
Key encounters to look out for
Virat Kohli vs Mitchell Santner – Kohli’s spin resistance against Santner’s accuracy.
Rohit Sharma vs Matt Henry – Sharma’s bold beginning in response to Henry’s new ball threat.
Kane Williamson vs Kuldeep Yadav – Yadav’s variations probing Williamson’s method.
Rachan Ravindra vs Mohammed Shami – Shami’s swing versus Ravindra’s attacking play.
Expert opinion and predictions
The final is likely to be a close game, where consistency would be the decisive factor. India’s consistency and New Zealand’s resilience make way for a classic encounter. Conditions favoring spin indicate a low-scoring, tactical game, with the side that can take the pressure better likely to win.
Group stage and semi-final results
Team
Opponents
Result
Key players
India
Bangladesh
Won by 6 wickets.
Gul (101*), Shami (5/29)
India
Pakistan
Won by 6 wickets.
Kohli (100*), Kuldeep (3/40)
India
New Zealand
Won by 44 runs.
Iyer (79), Chakravarthy (5/42)
India
Australia (SF)
Won by 4 wickets.
Kohli (84), Rahul (42*)
New Zealand
Pakistan
Won by 4 wickets.
Williamson (65)
New Zealand
Bangladesh
Won by 85 runs.
Ravindra (92)
New Zealand
India
Lost by 44 runs.
Williamson (81)
New Zealand
South Africa (SF)
Won by 50 runs.
Ravindra (108), Williamson (102)
Result
Since both sides are bringing their A-game, the India vs New Zealand Final Preview will be a closely contested one. Cricket enthusiasts will have a game where each ball matters, and the side that manages to bear the pressure best will lift the Champions Trophy 2025.
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