India and New Zealand are battling it out in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final at the Dubai International Stadium. After winning the toss, Kiwi skipper Mitchell Santner opted to bat first, citing the likelihood of minimal dew in the evening. The Blackcaps got off to a flying start, reaching 69/1 in the first 10 overs, largely due to Rachin Ravindra’s aggressive approach. However, he had a couple of lucky escapes in the 7th and 8th overs, with Mohammed Shami and Shreyas Iyer dropping crucial catches.
In the 7th over, Shami got his fingertips to a return catch but couldn’t hold on. In his follow-through, he initially misjudged the ball’s trajectory, with his hands likely obstructing his vision. The full-length delivery, angling into middle and leg, was punched back by Ravindra, but as the ball twisted in his hands upon impact, Shami failed to grasp it cleanly.
Another opportunity came on the very next over. Off the first ball of the 8th over, Shreyas Iyer sprinted 21 meters from deep midwicket, diving full-stretch to his right. He got his hands to the ball but couldn’t secure it, as it popped out just before he hit the ground. Despite his sharp reflexes, the high-speed effort ended in disappointment.
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With these missed chances, New Zealand gained momentum early in the innings. However, India will be looking to capitalize on any further opportunities to put the Kiwis under pressure in this high-stakes clash.
Shami dropped catch of rachin ravindra #INDvsNZ #ChampionsTrophy2025pic.twitter.com/RqWPkLXtLe
— JAIU (@Jaideepptdr) March 9, 2025
#IndvsNZfinal #INDvsNZ#IndvsNZfina#INDvsNZ pic.twitter.com/Njo9jY32DM
— Hari Shankar Meena (@HarryMeena66) March 9, 2025
New Zealand (Playing XI): Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham(w), Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner(c), Nathan Smith, Kyle Jamieson, William ORourke
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India (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma(c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul(w), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy
