The ICC Champions Trophy final match was played between two most dominant sides of the tournament India and New Zealand. India never lose a single match in this tournament, on the other hand New Zealand lost only a single match that too against India in the group stage. New Zealand were looking undefeatable in the whole tournament and India also won every single match with complete determination and planning. This match was played at Dubai International Stadium in ODI format on March 9, 2025. Following are the complete details of this match:
India Vs New Zealand
India's Advantage
The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 was schedule to be hosted by Pakistan. Due to political tensions between India and Pakistan, it was earlier decided by these two nations and ICC, that India will not come to Pakistan, as a result India played whole tournament on a neutral venue at Dubai International Stadium. India played all his matches at a single ground without any travel and at the same conditions. This seems to be a kind of advantage to a specific team in the tournament.
Toss and Conditions
New Zealand won the toss and decided to bat first. The conditions were dry and favorable for spin bowling, but also good for batting as well. Overall, it was an all-round pitch which should be the demand of a final match. India also wanted to bat first, but the captain Rohit Sharma was so confident about his team that they can win the match at any stage.
New Zealand Batting First
While batting first, New Zealand were very comfortable and confident. New Zealand's opener were brilliant in the whole tournament. Rachin Ravindra and Will Young was very dynamic in the whole tournament with their centuries and match winning innings. In the final match, both openers starts well, with both tackle the opening spell of Mohammad Shami and Hardik Pandya perfectly. Rachin Ravindra played aggressively and kept India under pressure in the powerplay.
India's Spin Magic
After the wicket of Will Young which departs after scoring 15 from 23 balls, it was all India' spin magic. Where Rachin Ravindra looks unstoppable and hit boundaries in the powerplay, Rohit Sharma gave Kuldeep Yadav a chance to bowl. Kuldeep Yadav starts his magic and take two crucial wickets of the opposition Rachin Ravindra and Kane Williamson, which backed India in the game.
New Zealand Struggle against Spin Bowling
New Zealand was struggling against the best spin bowling lineup Varun Chakravarty, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel. There were little partnerships in the middle overs but overall it was very good bowling on perfect line and length and with great variations, which kept New Zealand under constant pressure.
Daryl Mitchell's Knock
Despite New Zealand's struggle against India's spin magic, it was only Daryl Mitchell who remains consistent and played sensibly in the middle made 63 runs from 101 balls. There were some partnerships of Daryl Mitchell with Tom Latham and Glenn Phillips. Daryl Mitchell played nicely that days and control his nerves on the bigger occasion. Daryl Mitchell played in defensive mood but in the death overs when things needed to be aggressive, he got out by Mohammad Shami.
New Zealand's Finish
In the death overs, New Zealand managed nicely to get some recovery from the damage of spin department. Michael Bracewell played a fantastic and well needed knock of 53 not out from 40 balls. He managed brilliantly to get boundaries at regular interval. With the help of Mitchell Santner and the tail, New Zealand managed to get to 251 runs mark with the loss of 7 wickets.
Key Moments
India's Outstanding Start
Both the openers Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma played brilliantly and provide India an early partnership which was very needed in this chase. Rohit Sharma played aggressively with Shubman Gill took his time and gave his best. Rohit Sharma's fantastic knock put Kiwis into early pressure which helped openers to build a good partnership.
New Zealand's Wickets in the Middle Overs
After the good start of India, New Zealand came back in the game with spin department took back to back wickets in the middle overs. Mitchell Santner, Michael Bracewell and Rachin Ravindra kept the things hard and not giving any opportunity to Indian batsmen to take any run.
Shreyas Iyer's Knock
After the end of brilliant innings from the Indian Captain Rohit Sharma, Shreyas Iyer managed the team brilliantly and tackle the spin department impressively. The partnership between Axar Patel and Shreyas Iyer shifted the momentum and India were looking comfortable at that moment.
KL Rahul's Finish
After the game changing partnership between Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel, India were looking comfortable and it was only needed a knock to finish the game. KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya played impressively and finish the game quite easily. With KL Rahul's 34 runs Knock, India won the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
Final Thoughts
India and New Zealand played brilliantly, with both teams fought hard to get victory. Despite India's win, New Zealand players tried their best and fought till the last ball. On the other hand, India with his complete team effort won the tournament without loosing any match. It was the complete team performance which make India Champions.