New Zealand’s hopes of winning the Champions Trophy 2025 Final against India suffered a significant blow as star pacer Matt Henry was ruled out due to a shoulder injury.
Henry, who sustained the injury during the semi-final against South Africa, was deemed unfit to play in the final despite initial hopes of his recovery. His absence forced the Black Caps to make a change in their playing XI, with Nathan Smith coming in as his replacement.
Ahead of the toss, Matt Henry was seen dejected and disappointed after he missed out on the all-important Champions Trophy 2025 Final against India.
Henry’s injury is a massive setback for New Zealand, as he was their leading wicket-taker in the tournament with 10 scalps at an average of 16.70. He also boasted an impressive record against India, with 21 wickets in 11 ODI matches at an average of 21.00.
Despite this setback, New Zealand remains hopeful of containing India’s formidable batting line-up. With Dubai’s conditions favoring both pace and spin, the Black Caps will rely on their remaining bowlers to step up and deliver in the high-stakes final.
Also read: Shoaib Akhtar has THIS advice for New Zealand ahead of CT25 Final
New Zealand have won the toss and elected to bat first against India in the final of the Champions Trophy 2025 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium (today) Sunday.
India reached the finals by beating Australia by four wickets in the first semi-final played in Dubai while New Zealand booked their spot in the grand finale by beating South Africa in Lahore.
India is playing the Champions Trophy 2025 final with an unchanged team, while NZ team has made one change.
Playing XIs
India: Rohit Sharma(c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul(w), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy.
New Zealand: Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham(w), Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner(c), Kyle Jamieson, William ORourke, Nathan Smith.
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