Already qualified for the semifinals, India and New Zealand meet i🅰n the last league match of the Champions Trophy in Dubai on Sunday with the winner taking the top spot in Group A.
The match acts as a perfect tune-up, heading into the next stage of the tournament. It’s the only two remaining teams to have won every match at the tournament doing battle and there’s plenty to play for. Here’s where it’ll be ꦦwon and lost.
The Rohit Sharma-led India side has registered consecutive wins against Bangladesh and arch-rivals Pakisဣtan to seal the last four berth in the eight-team tournament. Similarly, New Zealand too registered vic🔯tories against Pakistan and Bangladesh to progress to the knockout stage.
The match will be crucial for India's in-form batter Virat Kohli, who will be playi🎶ng his 300th One-day International.
Kohli, who h𝓰as scored 122 runs in the event so far, will try to make the most of his 300th ODI appearance after scoring a match-winning century against Pakistan in the second game. On the other hand, vice-captain Shubman Gill is India's highest-scorer in the ongoing tournament, scoring 147 runs in two matches.
On the bowling front, Mohammed Shami has been India's standout performer with five wickets, while Harshit Rana has claimed four scalps. For the Black Caps, Tom Latham is the leading run-scorer with 17꧋3 runs followed by Rachin Ravindra (112 runs) and Will Young (107 runs). Michael Bracewell🍒 and William O'Rourke lead the wicket-taking chart for the side with five dismissals each.
New Zealand's Glenn Phillips said the te⛄am's culture has helped them perform well in the event so far.
I think it comes down to, firstly, our team culture. I think it also comes down to the boys sticking to their processes individually. We obviously have a lot of trust in each other and we all play our games differently, I think when we get in the middle, we trust our mate next to us to be able to do what they train to do.
They put in the work and they trust me to put in my work and from there, we go out there and I guess can build that relationship on the field and be able to give to each other no matter what. I guess that builds a great team environment and then cricket's obviously a funny game. The results sometimes don't go your way, but I think we've created a nice sort of consistent platform for us to build from.
No, for us, there's no focus on anything like that. Obviously, a tournament draw is what it is, and we have a no-excuses mindset to be able to come out to a tournament, you're dealt the hand that you're dealt, and the facts of the matter is India has been dealt that hand, and we've been dealt that hand. And we're never going to complain about what we get, and we'll just do the best with what we've got.
India hold a superior ODI record against New Zealand, winning 60 of their 118 encounters. The Kiwis have secured 50 victories, wiಌth one match ending in a tie and seven producing no results. In their last ODI clash, India defeated New Zealand by 70 runs in the 2023 World Cup semifinal at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium.
But New Zealand will be hoping to put🎶 in across India to seek revenge for their last defeat. That will also give them the top spot in the group.
India squad: Rohit Sharma (c🍌aptain), Shubman Gill (vice captain), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wicketkeeper), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Sin🌜gh, Harshit Rana, Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Varun Chakravarthy.
New Zealand squad: Mitchell Santner (captain), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway (wicketkeeper), Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Tom Latham (wicketkeeper), Daryl Mitchell, Wil♎l O’Rourke, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Ben Sears🌊, Nathan Smith, Kane Williamson, Will Young
