Dubai, March 3, 2025 – India secured a dominant 44-run victory over New Zealand on Sunday to finish as Group A toppers in the Champions Trophy. With this win, India will now face Australia in the first semifinal, while New Zealand will take on South Africa in Lahore.
Iyer Leads India’s Batting Effort
Batting first, India posted 249/9 in their 50 overs. Shreyas Iyer anchored the innings with a well-crafted 79 off 98 balls, marking his second consecutive half-century in the tournament. Hardik Pandya (45) and Axar Patel (42) provided crucial middle-order contributions, but Matt Henry’s brilliant 5/42 kept India from reaching a bigger total.
The Indian top order struggled early, with Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli falling cheaply. Kohli, in his milestone 300th ODI, was dismissed for a low score by Henry, caught brilliantly by Glenn Phillips. However, Iyer and Axar steadied the innings before Pandya accelerated towards the end.
Chakravarthy’s Five-Wicket Haul Seals Victory
Chasing 250, New Zealand’s hopes rested on captain Kane Williamson, who played a fluent knock of 81. But apart from him, the Black Caps’ batting faltered under pressure. Mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy was India’s hero with the ball, taking 5/42 in 10 overs, dismantling the Kiwi batting lineup.
New Zealand was bowled out for 205 in 45.3 overs, falling well short of the target.
Next Stop: Semi-Finals
With this victory, India marches into the semifinals unbeaten and will face Australia on Tuesday. New Zealand, finishing second in the group, will play South Africa in the other semifinal on Wednesday.
