New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson believes that India has a clear understanding of how to approach the Champions Trophy final in Dubai, given that they have played all their matches at the same venue. However, he remains confident that New Zealand will be well-prepared despite having limited experience with the conditions.
Williamson tactfully avoided suggesting that India held an outright advantage. Instead, he drew a comparison to New Zealand’s familiarity with Lahore, where they secured a convincing semi-final victory against South Africa. The Kiwis had previously played two games in Lahore as part of a tri-series involving Pakistan and South Africa, giving them a sense of the conditions.
“I suppose having played there on a number of occasions, they have real clarity in how they want to operate,” Kane Williamson said when asked about India’s familiarity with Dubai. “It’s a bit like our situation in Lahore, having played a couple of matches at this venue before the semi-final. That’s just part of cricket.”
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Coming off a match-winning century in the semi-final, Williamson is in fine form and eager for the challenge ahead. He acknowledged that playing against India in Dubai earlier in the tournament had given New Zealand a reference point.
“Our focus is on the next match. The venue and opposition are factors, of course, and we’ve already played India there once,” Kane Williamson said. “The conditions will be different, so it’s important we take the positives from that game and stay clear on our approach for the final in the next few days.”
New Zealand’s semi-final triumph was built on brilliant centuries from Williamson and Rachin Ravindra. Speaking about the young all-rounder, Williamson hailed Ravindra as a special talent who has stepped up in big tournaments.
“It’s exciting to be in the final. Rachin is an incredibly special talent. Batting with him is always enjoyable—he puts the team first and plays with great freedom,” Kane Williamson said. “When we were at the crease together, there were tough spells, but we kept each other focused. He’s confident, gifted, and clear in his approach. He has proven himself on big stages before, and he’s doing it again.”
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With Dubai’s slow surfaces offering assistance to spinners, adapting to conditions will be key. New Zealand, having already played one game at the venue, will look to use that experience to their advantage.
“Conditions in Dubai are quite different from what we experienced in Lahore, but that’s the nature of any tournament. Pitches evolve, and we have to adjust,” Kane Williamson said. “Playing against India there earlier gave us useful insights. They are an outstanding team in great form, but in a final, anything can happen. We just need to take the learnings from our last game and be at our best when it matters.”
With both teams in strong form, the stage is set for a high-stakes showdown in the Champions Trophy final.
