4 min learnUp to date: Mar 6, 2026 03:52 PM IST
The similarities are uncanny. When India take to the sphere for the T20 World Cup ultimate in opposition to New Zealand on Sunday, it might be nearly to the day a 12 months in the past when the identical two sides met in Dubai to determine who received the ICC Champions Trophy.
It was March 9, 2025 when skipper Rohit Sharma led from the entrance with an 83-ball 76 as India overhauled the goal of 252 set by the Black Caps for a four-wicket win. It was the second successive ICC white-ball trophy for the Males in Blue after the T20 World Cup triumph the earlier 12 months, and Suryakumar Yadav and his males want to make
it three out of three in Ahmedabad on Sunday. They appear to be making up for misplaced time after India went 11 years with out a main ICC crown.
On that day in Dubai, New Zealand acquired off to a quick begin with the bat after profitable the toss. Rachin Ravindra was the extra aggressive opener with a 29-ball 37 because the Kiwis reached 57 in lower than eight overs.
As had been the development all through the event, India’s spin assault quickly turned the tide. Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel bowled a lion’s share of the overs and have been laborious to get away. They not solely introduced the run price down but additionally chipped away on the wickets. Ravindra and Will Younger couldn’t carry the nice work and have been quickly joined again within the pavilion by Kane Williamson and Tom Latham. New Zealand have been diminished to 108/4 within the twenty fourth over, and it fell to Daryl Mitchell (63 off 101 balls) and Glenn Phillips (34 off 52) to stem the rot with a 57-run partnership.
However the innings hadn’t acquired a lot impetus and it was solely attributable to Michael Bracewell’s (53 not out off 40 balls) late flurry that the Black Caps breached the 250-run mark.
Kuldeeep (2/40) and Varun (2/45) have been essentially the most profitable bowlers when it comes to wickets, however Jadeja (1/30) and Axar (0/29 in eight overs) have been miserly as effectively. The spinners greater than made up for the costly pacers – Mohammed Shami (1/74 in 9 overs) and Hardik Pandya (0/30 in three) – as 38 of the 50 overs have been bowled by the tweakers.
When it got here to the chase, a gap stand of 105 in lower than 19 overs between Rohit and Shubman Gill (31) put India firmly within the driver’s seat. The partnership was damaged by a flying catch within the covers by Phillips, which introduced Virat Kohli to the crease.
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However the Kiwis by no means let go with out a combat and Mitchell Santner’s facet proceeded to make a match of it. Kohli got here and went and when Rohit was stumped off Ravindra, India have been all of the sudden 122/3 within the twenty seventh over, with greater than half of the goal nonetheless to get.
Shreyas Iyer (48 off 62 balls) and Axar (29 off 40) added 61 for the fourth wicket, however when each of them fell inside 20 runs of one another, the Kiwis would have sensed an opportunity with 49 runs to get off 51 balls with 5 wickets in hand.
It was right here that the expertise and calm head of KL Rahul got here helpful with an unbeaten 34 off 33 balls and despite the fact that Hardik was dismissed with 11 to get off 15 balls, the four-wicket win was secured with an over to spare.
Regardless of it being lower than a 12 months since that conflict, the 2 sides will bear a largely completely different look once they face off within the ICC T20 World Cup ultimate on Sunday. Of the 11 Indians who took the sphere in Dubai, solely Axar, Hardik, Varun and Kuldeep are a part of the current squad. As for New Zealand, who will probably be led as soon as once more by ice-cool Santner, Rachin, Mitchell, Phillips and Kyle Jamieson are the frequent elements who will hope for a distinct consequence this time.