Kuldeep, Varun Shine as India Keeps New Zealand in Check at 251/7

Dubai witnessed a high-stakes showdown as India tightened its grip on the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Final, restricting New Zealand to a modest 251/7 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. The spinners spearheaded India’s dominance, with Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy delivering pivotal blows in the middle overs.

Spinners Take Charge

New Zealand, opting to bat first after captain Mitchell Santner won the toss, got off to a brisk start with Will Young and Rachin Ravindra showing early intent. However, India’s disciplined bowling ensured that their momentum was short-lived. Varun Chakravarthy provided the first breakthrough, trapping Young lbw in the eighth over. Ravindra, who looked set with a quick 37 off 29 balls, fell victim to Kuldeep Yadav, who bowled him clean. The wrist-spinner struck again just two overs later, dismissing Kane Williamson with a sharp caught-and-bowled effort.

Tom Latham (14) was trapped lbw by Ravindra Jadeja, while Glenn Phillips contributed a steady 34 off 52 balls, including two boundaries and a six. Daryl Mitchell held the innings together with a hard-fought 63 off 101 deliveries, though his knock lacked acceleration, featuring just three boundaries.

Late Resistance from Bracewell

With wickets falling at regular intervals, New Zealand struggled to build momentum. Skipper Santner was run out in the penultimate over as the Black Caps pushed for late runs. Michael Bracewell, however, played a crucial hand, reaching his half-century on the final ball of the innings, ensuring New Zealand had something to defend.

India’s Unbeaten Run Continues

India entered the final with an unbeaten record, having dominated throughout the tournament, including a commanding semi-final victory over Australia. They had also bested New Zealand earlier in the group stage in Dubai. The Black Caps, despite their previous loss to India, had been equally impressive in the tournament and secured their final berth with a comprehensive win over South Africa.

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), Nathan Smith, Kyle Jamieson, William O’Rourke.

With 252 needed to lift the title, India now has a golden opportunity to seize Champions Trophy glory.