India will face New Zealand in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final on March 9 in Dubai. After 17 days of exciting matches, the tournament will come to an end with this big clash. India has been unstoppable so far, winning all four of their games. They defeated Bangladesh, Pakistan, and New Zealand in the group stage before edging past Australia in the semi-finals.
India has made great use of Dubai’s slow pitches by relying on four spinners to challenge their opponents. New Zealand, on the other hand, has won three out of four matches. Their only loss came against India in the group stage. However, the Kiwis bounced back strongly, beating South Africa by 50 runs in the semi-finals. With their batting lineup in top form, they will enter the final full of confidence.
IND vs NZ Champions Trophy Final: What Happened Last Time They Met for the Title?
The last time India played New Zealand in an ICC Champions Trophy final was in 2000, when the tournament was called the ICC Knockout Trophy. The match, held in Nairobi, ended in disappointment for India as Chris Cairns played one of the best innings in the tournament’s history.
India batted first and started strong, with Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly putting up a 141-run opening stand. Ganguly was in top form, scoring 117 off 130 balls, hitting nine fours and four sixes.
New Zealand, however, fought back by taking key wickets in the middle overs. Medium pacer Scott Styris played a crucial role, taking two wickets in his 10-over spell, which helped restrict India to 264/6.
While chasing, New Zealand struggled early and slipped to 132/5, losing key players like Stephen Fleming, Nathan Astle, and Craig McMillan for low scores. But Chris Cairns took charge, building a match-winning 122-run partnership with Chris Harris for the sixth wicket.
Cairns stayed unbeaten on 102 off 113 balls, leading New Zealand to victory with four wickets in hand. He was named Player of the Match for his brilliant knock. For India, Venkatesh Prasad was the standout bowler, taking 3/27 in seven overs.
