Devon Conway IN, 1 Player OUT; Will Rachin Ravindra Play? NZ's Likely XI For Champions Trophy Final vs IND (Source: AP)
India will take on New Zealand in the final of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 at the Dubai International Stadium on March 9. India secured a berth in the summit clash after defeating Australia in the semifinal. New Zealand, on the other hand, picked a comprehensive win over South Africa to reach the title clash. India would be optimistic about lifting the trophy given they are the only team undefeated in the tournament. The Men in Blue also beat New Zealand in their last league game which further boosts their hopes of winning the third Champions Trophy title.
New Zealand would be the underdog heading into the contest but they won't be any walkovers by any means. In the league game, New Zealand restricted India to 249 and had a decent opportunity to win before Varun Chakravarthy run riot and New Zealand collapsed. Having already got a taste of the conditions, New Zealand will be better prepared for the final.
Meanwhile, New Zealand have given many crucial blows to India in the ICC knockout games and they'd hope to add more misery to India's ICC knockout heartbreaks on March 9.
New Zealand Predicted XI For The ICC Champions Trophy Final
New Zealand will be tempted to step on the park for the final with the same team, however, they could consider bringing in Devon Conway in place of Will Young who didn't look comfortable against the Indian spinners. Conway, a better player of spin, could fit well in the Kiwi XI at the Dubai International Stadium.
The playing XI for the final could look like - Rachin Ravindra and Devon Conway as openers, followed by Kane Williamson at three. Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham and Glenn Phillips will be the following batters. Michael Bracewell and Mitchell Santner will be key with the ball given that spinners are likely to cause more trouble on the surface. Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, and William O Rourke will be the three fast bowlers. New Zealand would ideally have liked Ish Sodhi in place of one of the pacers but he wasn't picked in the squad and there are no alternatives available. There are also doubts about the availability of Matt Henry who injured his shoulder against South Africa. If he's unfit, New Zealand can include Nathan Smith.
New Zealand Predicted XI: Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (wk), Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (c), Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, William ORourke
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