India defeated New Zealand by 44 runs in the final group-stage match of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 on March 2 (Sunday) at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai. While India were not in the absolute winning position throughout the match, they did make the affair seem one-sided in the end. And at the centre of India’s win was Varun Chakravarthy, who made his Champions Trophy debut in Dubai. India captain Rohit Sharma showered heavy praise for the leggie after the win.
Although the IND vs NZ match had no bearing on the Champions Trophy semifinal qualification scenarios, it did decide which team will lock horns with whom in the semis. India are set to face off against Australia while New Zealand will travel to Lahore for the semis clash against South Africa.
ALSO ON ABP Live | IND vs NZ: India Beat New Zealand By 44 Runs, Set To Face Australia In Champions Trophy 2025 Semifinal
Chakravarthy shone with the ball for Team India in the IND vs NZ clash as he registered figures of 5-42 in 10 overs. He accounted for the key wickets of Will Young, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Michael Bracewell and Matt Henry.
'It Is A Good Headache To Have': Rohit Sharma On Varun Chakravarthy
After the match, Rohit Sharma praised Chakravarthy, acknowledging his unique skills. He stated that the bowler’s execution makes him difficult to read and that his performance gives the team a ‘good headache’ in terms of the selection dilemma for the next game.
“Look, Varun brings something different, there’s no doubt about it. We wanted to see what he could offer, and he proved he has much to offer. Obviously, we got to think a little bit about what we want to do in the next game. It is a good headache to have. But yeah, Varun was excellent today. If he executes well, he’s very difficult to read.”
India will face Australia on March 4 (Tuesday) in Dubai for the semifinals clash. It will be a rematch of the 2015 ODI World Cup semifinals where India and Australia, and South Africa and New Zealand clashed in the semis.