ICC Champions Trophy 2025 | Final: India vs New Zealand | Preview and Predictions

After a little over two weeks of action in Pakistan and the UAE, the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy has reached the final game, with India set to take on New Zealand in Dubai.

The Men in Blue, who went down to Pakistan in the 2017 Champions Trophy final, will be looking to go all the way this time around, while the Black Caps will be looking to pick up their first white-ball ICC title in over two decades.

For the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy final, here are our match preview and predictions.

ICC Champions Trophy 2025 | Final: India vs New Zealand | 14:30 IST, March 9

India’s record in the finals of the last two major ODI tournaments has been something to forget, and it remains to be seen if Rohit Sharma & Co can bury the ghost of choking in the finals of ICC events.

Like their 2023 World Cup campaign, India come into the final without losing a single game. All their batters have got runs and spent good time in the middle, with the likes of Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, and KL Rahul all in good form. Captain Sharma is the only one who hasn’t registered a big score, though the veteran batter has shifted his approach in recent times and has been focusing on giving his team a flying start rather than batting deep. That said, there can hardly be a better stage than this game for him to come good. 

India’s bowling has also been stellar. Mohammed Shami is slowly getting back to his best following a long injury layoff, but it’s been India’s spin quartet that has been causing all sorts of trouble for their opponents. While Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja have been economical and regularly chipped in with wickets, Varun Chakravarthy, who was brought in for their final Group game, has been a phenomenon and bamboozled opposition batters. On dry and slow pitches, the spinners have been key, and Sharma will count on them to do well again, especially against a team more than capable of negating the spin threat.

The Kiwis, meanwhile, have had a near-flawless run to the final, going down just once, which was to India in the final Group A game. In two of their three group-stage games, which they played in Pakistan, New Zealand posted scores of over 300. Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Tom Latham, and Kane Williamson have all registered centuries, with Ravindra reaching triple figures twice in the tournament.

The NZ bowling has been stellar as well, with Mitchell Santner, Matt Henry, Will O’Rourke, and Michael Bracewell all chipping in when needed. With Henry doubtful for the final and the Dubai strip being a spin-friendly one, Santner, Bracewell, Ravindra, and Glenn Phillips will have a key role to play. 

It was in Dubai where New Zealand suffered their only defeat of the tournament—at a pitch they’ve not played on since and against a side whose bowlers left their batting unit at its wit’s end, especially Chakravarthy. That said, the Kiwis have plenty of experience and talent in their batting lineup and will count on the likes of Conway, Ravindra, and Williamson to step up with the bat. 

While New Zealand have often had India’s number in ICC events, the latter have already got the better of them once in the tournament and come into the final as the favourites. Having spent more time in Dubai than any other side, India will fell the pressure to deliver and firmly put the 2017 defeat behind them.

Fantasy XI: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson, Glenn Phillips, KL Rahul, Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, Mitchell Santner, Will O’Rourke, Mohammed Shami

Venue: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Winners Prediction: India