New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner won the toss and opted to bowl first against India in their final group-stage match of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Both teams have already secured their spots in the semifinals, making this a crucial game for final adjustments before the knockout stage.
India made one change to their playing XI, resting Harshit Rana and bringing in Varun Chakravarthy. Skipper Rohit Sharma, speaking at the toss, mentioned that the team was keen to test itself while batting first. “Was anyway looking to bat first, wanted to see what we could do upfront and then challenge our bowlers since we chased in both games. The approach will be very similar to previous games, just trying to do the same things,” he stated.
On the other hand, New Zealand made one change, with Daryl Mitchell coming in for Devon Conway. Santner explained the decision to bowl first, saying, “Looks like a good wicket. Want to put some pressure early and hopefully it skids on well later.”
Playing XIs:
- India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy.
- New Zealand: Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (wk), Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (c), Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, William O’Rourke.
With both teams aiming to carry momentum into the knockout stage, this contest promises to be an exciting battle. Stay tuned for live updates and key moments from the match.
