The 12th match of the Champions Trophy featuring India and New Zealand from group A will be played on 2nd of March in Dubai.
Match Preview
With both teams already securing qualification, the upcoming match will be a battle for the top spot in their group and a chance to carry this momentum into the playoffs. Having secured dominant victories in their first two games, both sides will aim to maintain their winning streak tomorrow.
New Zealand will feature five left-handed batters in their top eight, making India’s two left-arm spinners a less favorable matchup. As a result, off-spinner Washington Sundar could be preferred over either Ravindra Jadeja or Axar Patel to counter this challenge.
Mohammed Shami, recovering from a niggle and returning from injury, will be rested for the game, with Arshdeep Singh set to replace him. India will count on Arshdeep to provide early breakthroughs, a role he has excelled in recently in ODIs. Since the 2023 World Cup, he has taken seven wickets in the first 10 overs at an impressive average of 17.3.
New Zealand will rely on Matt Henry to maintain his impressive record against India and provide crucial early breakthroughs against their in-form top order. Henry has been a key performer, claiming 16 wickets against India at an average of 24.9.
Mitchell Santner has been in sublime form, taking 8 wickets in his last 5 matches at an average of 29.1 and an impressive economy rate of 4.66. His contest against India’s right-hand-dominant top six will be a crucial battle to watch.
Probable XIs
India
Rohit Sharma (C) , Shubhman Gill , Virat Kohli , Sheryas Iyer , Rishabh Pant (wk), Hardik Pandya , Axar Patel , Washington Sundar, Harshit Rana , Kuldeep Yadav , Arshdeep Singh
New Zealand
Rachin Ravindra , Devon Conway , Kane Willamson , Daryl Mitchell , Tom Latham (wk), Glenn Philips , Michael Bracewell , Mitchel Santner (C), Kyle Jamieson , Matt Henry , Will O’Rourke
Head to Head record
India and New Zealand have faced each other in 118 matches, with India winning 60 and New Zealand securing victory in 50. One match ended in a tie, while seven games had no result.
Pitch and weather report
Unlike the venues in Pakistan, Dubai is traditionally known for its slower surface, where spin is expected to play a significant role. Since 2021, the average first-innings score at this venue has been 211, though most of these matches have been played between associate nations.
About the weather, a clear day can be expected during the game with no prediction of rain.
Prediction:
Both of the sides are unbeatable so it is hard to guess but given India have been playing on Dubai pitches since the start of the tournament so they are favourites to win this upcoming encounter which will decide the semi-final fixtures of the tournament.
Where to watch:
India: Jio Hotstar,
Pakistan: Myco, Tapmad, and Tamasha app
UAE and MENA: STARZPLAY
USA and Canada: Streaming on Willow by Cricbuzz app (Hindi coverage available)
Caribbean: ESPN Play Caribbean app
Australia: PrimeVideo
New Zealand: SkyGo app.
South Africa and sub-Saharan territories: SuperSport and SuperSport App
Bangladesh: Nagorik TV
Afghanistan: ATN
Sri Lanka: Maharaja TV
