IND vs NZ Final: Team India restricted New Zealand to 251-7 in 5o overs in the first innings of the IND vs NZ Champions Trophy 2025 final on March 9 (Sunday) at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai. Rohit Sharma & co. need 252 runs to win India their third Champions Trophy title and seventh ICC championship title. Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakaravarthy shone for India as they picked two wickets each and also helped stifle New Zealand's run-scoring through the middle overs.
New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner won the toss and opted to bat first on a dry Dubai pitch. Rohit Sharma equalled an unwanted record as he lost his 12th and the team's 15th consecutive toss in ODIs. Rohit matched Brian Lara's record of losing 12 tosses in a row— the most in ODIs.
Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy Shine In Dubai
Putting India in to bowl first, New Zealand openers Rachin Ravindra and Will Young made the most of the powerplay overs as New Zealand raced to 51 runs in just 7 overs. However, Varun Chakaravarthy weaved his magic yet again and broke the crucial partnership. Soon enough, Kuldeep Yadav followed as India bagged Ravindra's wicket to leave India 69-2 in 10.1 overs.
Indian spinners continued the domination as they made New Zealand run-scoring very difficult. The veteran Kiwi batter Kane Williamson failed on the big stage as he could only score 11 runs before getting out to Kuldeep Yadav. Daryl Mitchell scored a 63 off 101 balls as he became the glue around which the New Zealand batting unit revolved. Michael Bracewell's 40-ball 53 runs knock helped New Zealand reach 251-7 in 50 overs in the end. Kuldeep ended with bowling figures of 2-40 in 10 overs, while Chakaravarthy bagged 2 wickets giving away 45 runs in his 10 overs.