Champions Trophy Final: Why A Sunday Match Raises Concerns For India
The last time India lifted a trophy against New Zealand in a final was 37 years ago in 1988, under Ravi Shastri's captaincy.
Team India will battle New Zealand for ICC Champions Trophy 2025 title on Sunday (March 9), 2025, at the Dubai International Stadium. Rohit Sharma and his team have dominated the tournament, defeating big names like Pakistan and Australia, and remain unbeaten so far.
However, history presents two major hurdles - India has never beaten New Zealand in an ICC final, and more concerning, India has never won an ICC final played on a Sunday.
India's ICC Final wins: The Sunday jinx
1983 World Cup Final – Saturday
2002 Champions Trophy Final – Monday
2007 T20 World Cup Final – Monday
2011 ODI World Cup Final – Saturday
2013 Champions Trophy Final – Monday
2024 T20 World Cup Final – Saturday
Will India win 2025 Champions Trophy Final? – Sunday
The last time India lifted a trophy against New Zealand in a final was 37 years ago in 1988, under Ravi Shastri's captaincy. Since then, New Zealand has crushed India's ICC title dreams multiple times, including the 2000 Champions Trophy final and the 2021 World Test Championship final.
This Sunday, Rohit Sharma has a golden chance to end both jinxes - defeating New Zealand in an ICC final and winning a title match on a Sunday.
Will it finally be a Super Sunday for India, or will history repeat itself?
Unbeaten so far, Team India has dominated the Champions Trophy tournament, securing wins against Australia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and New Zealand in the group stage. The semi-final victory against Australia further cemented their position as the team to beat.
With Virat Kohli back in top form and key players like KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, and Hardik Pandya firing on all cylinders, India is high on confidence. However, history presents a challenge - India has never beaten New Zealand in an ICC final. The Kiwis, who defeated South Africa in the semi-finals, will be determined to continue their strong record against India in title clashes.
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