Dubai: India made a dominant display in their last group-stage match of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, beating New Zealand by 44 runs at the Dubai International Stadium. India topped Group A and booked a semi-final bout with Australia, while New Zealand will take on South Africa in the semi-final stage.
India‘s Innings: A Gritty Fightback
Having been asked to bat first by New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner, India had a nervous start, losing Rohit Sharma (15), Shubman Gill (2), and Virat Kohli (11) in the first seven overs, leaving them tottering at 30/3. But Shreyas Iyer came to the rescue with a vital 79 off 98 balls, stabilizing the innings with Axar Patel, who added 42 runs. Hardik Pandya‘s aggressive 45 contributed to a decent Indian total of 250 runs before the team was bowled out.
New Zealand‘s bowling lineup was led by Matt Henry, who took an excellent five-wicket haul, destroying India‘s middle order. The Kiwi fielders too were impressive, with Kane Williamson (to catch Ravindra Jadeja) and Glenn Phillips (to get rid of Virat Kohli) making special catches.
New Zealand‘s Chase: Chakravarthy Spins a Web
Pursuing 251, New Zealand began tentatively but continued losing wickets at every other interval. Kane Williamson‘s 81 top-scored but was missing much-needed support at the other end. Varun Chakravarthy turned out to be the Indian game-changer as he spun magic with the ball and claimed five wickets to destroy the Kiwi top order.
Even with a robust batting image, New Zealand struggled when put under pressure and were bowled out for 206 in 47.3 overs, giving India a well-deserved win. Mohammed Shami and Kuldeep Yadav also contributed to sealing the victory with important wickets.
India Breaks the Streak Against New Zealand
Historically, India has been tough to beat by New Zealand in ICC events, with the Black Caps holding an overwhelming advantage over their head-to-head encounter. The Men in Blue were, however, inspired by their 2023 World Cup semi-final win over the Kiwis and turned the tide in style.
This victory gives India good momentum going into the semi-finals, where a high-pressure contest against Australia awaits. New Zealand will need to regroup for their match against South Africa as they seek qualification for the final.
Playing XIs:
India: 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: Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (w), Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (c), Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, and William O‘Rourke.
