IND vs NZ Final: New Zealand to Bat First in Champions Trophy Final, India’s Toss Jinx Continues

Dubai, UAE – New Zealand will bat first in the Champions Trophy 2025 Final against India after captain Mitchel Santner won the toss. This continues India’s unfortunate streak with the coin, marking their 15th consecutive toss loss under Rohit Sharma’s captaincy.

New Zealand has made one change to their lineup, with Nathan Smith replacing Matt Henry, as announced by Santner. India has opted for an unchanged team, sticking with the winning combination that has brought them to the final.

The stage is set in Dubai for a thrilling conclusion to the Champions Trophy, as India and New Zealand clash for the coveted title. Both teams have had impressive runs throughout the tournament, making this a highly anticipated final. While the tournament has seen its share of controversies, the focus today is on the cricket as these two sides vie to add another ICC trophy to their cabinets. For India, a victory would mean back-to-back ICC titles and overcoming past disappointments.

Dubai’s pitch conditions are expected to favor spin bowling and may not be as conducive to high-scoring as some grounds in Pakistan. Interestingly, these two teams faced each other just a week ago at this same venue, where India emerged victorious by 44 runs. New Zealand will be looking to learn from that defeat and reverse the outcome in today’s crucial final.

Predicted XI

India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami and Varun Chakaravarthy

New Zealand: Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson, Tom Latham(wk), Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner(c), Kyle Jamieson, William ORourke, Matt Henry/Nathan Smith