DUBAI – India secured another victory by defeating New Zealand by 44 runs in the final group match of the ICC Champions Trophy.
Batting first, India set a target of 250 runs for New Zealand. In response, the Kiwi team was bowled out for 205 runs in 45.3 overs.
India’s innings started poorly, losing their first three wickets for just 30 runs — Shubman Gill scored 2, Rohit Sharma 15, and Virat Kohli 11.
A crucial 98-run partnership between Axar Patel and Shreyas Iyer steadied the innings, with Axar scoring 42 before getting out, while Shreyas top-scored with 79. KL Rahul added 23 runs.
Later, Hardik Pandya made 45, Ravindra Jadeja 16, Mohammad Shami 5, and Kuldeep Yadav managed just 1 run. India finished at 249/9 in 50 overs, giving New Zealand a target of 250.
For New Zealand, Matt Henry took 5 wickets, while Kyle Jamieson, Rachin Ravindra, Will O’Rourke, and Mitchell Santner claimed one wicket each.
India’s Playing XI: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill (vc), Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Shreyas Iyer, Ravindra Jadeja, Virat Kohli, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Hardik Pandya, Rishabh Pant, Axar Patel, KL Rahul, Varun Chakravarthy, and Washington Sundar.
New Zealand’s Playing XI: Mitchell Santner (c), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Will O’Rourke, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Nathan Smith, Kane Williamson, and Will Young.
With both teams already through to the semifinals, the match is more about securing top position in the group. India holds a dominant ODI record against New Zealand, having won 60 of their 118 encounters, while New Zealand has claimed 50 victories. The most recent ODI between the two teams saw India triumph by 70 runs in the 2023 World Cup semifinal.
The game is expected to be a thrilling contest, with both teams keen to finish at the top of the group and head into the knockout rounds with momentum.
