Face off for top spot

Despite having secured their semifinal spots in the Champions Trophy 2025, India and New Zealand will aim for nothing less than a win in their final league clash on March 2, at the Dubai International Stadium. A victory will ensure the top position in Group A.

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Both teams currently have four points, but New Zealand sits atop the table due to a superior Net Run Rate (NRR). The match outcome will determine their semifinal opponents— if New Zealand wins or the match is washed out, India will face South Africa in the semis. If India wins, they will take on Australia. South Africa sealed the top spot in Group B after defeating England by seven wickets in their final league game on Saturday in Karachi.

So far, having proved their potential at all fronts in the ongoing tournament, the Indian team is likely to test their second-line players against the ‘well known’ enemy. In their run to the semis, Indian batters have not been comfortable against spin and Kiwis could offer them a tough challenge. The likes of Mitchell Santner and Michael Bracewell could be the real test for the Indian batters before facing their semi’s opponents-- Australia (having Matthew Short and Adam Zampa) or South Africa (having Keshav Maharaj).

Both Santner and Bracewell, along with part time spinner Glenn Phillips, have troubled the Indian batters in the past. The Kiwis had handed over a 3-0 defeat to India last year. Earlier, against Bangladesh, Indian batters were focusing more on playing out spinners Rishad Hossain (2/38) and Mehidy Hasan Miraz (0/37) without taking risks, and they followed the same approach against Pakistan leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed (1/28). The recent performances by opener Shubman Gill, India’s standout batter in ODIs of late, along with ‘comeback king’ Virat Kohli is something soothing for the Indian fans. If not these two, the depth in the line-up with the presence of Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya will be expected to take the charge.

Overall check & change

The Indian team will also have a chance to test their selection of five spinners — Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, Washington Sundar. Having observed Patel, Jadeja, and Yadav in previous matches, the New Zealand batters Rachin Ravindra, Will Young and Tom Latham might take a little time to settle against Chakravarthy and Washington—if the duo plays. However, if the trio of the Indian spinners can contain the Kiwi batters, it will do a world of good to their already high confidence. Meanwhile, if the Friday’s net session is to be considered, Arshdeep Singh could come in for Mohammed Shami—who developed a minor calf injury against Pakistan, and Chakravarthy might replace Kuldeep as he is also coming off an injury lay-off. Skipper Rohit Sharma had also experienced some discomfort during the last match, and he is also likely to be replaced with Rishabh Pant—who was out of action in the tournament, so far.

Both Australia, SA will fly to Dubai

The Australian and South African cricket teams will fly to Dubai ahead of the Champions Trophy semifinals, even though it remains uncertain whether their match will be held in Dubai or Pakistan, according to a some media reports. Dubai is set to host the first semifinal on Tuesday, with Lahore hosting the second on Wednesday. The final venue decision hinges on the outcome of the last Group A match between India and New Zealand on Sunday, which will determine if Australia or South Africa will face the Indian team. Due to security concerns in Pakistan, India is playing all their matches in Dubai. Both Australia and South Africa will travel to Dubai and await the result of Sunday’s game before knowing which team will return to Lahore for the second semifinal.