Varun Chakravarthy’s five-for and Shreyas Iyer’s cautious 98-ball 79 helped India to dismantle New Zealand comprehensively by 44 runs against New Zealand in the 12th match of the Champions Trophy 2025 at the Dubai stadium on Sunday.
Chasing a 250-run target, the Black Caps were bundled out for 205 inside the 46th over. The India’s victory had cleared the air that the Rohit Sharma-led side will play Australia in the first semi-final of the Champions Trophy at the same venue on Tuesday (March 4).
New Zealand will have to return to Pakistan to take on South Africa in the second semi-final of the tournament at the revamped Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Wednesday (March 5).
The Black Caps kept on losing the wickets from one end, but Kane Williamson ensured to show resistance. He really played solid innings in tough circumstances, scoring 120-ball 81, laced with seven boundaries.
Will Young (22), Rachin Ravindra (6), Daryl Mitchell (17), Tom Latham (14), Glenn Phillips (12), Michael Bracewell (2), Matt Henry and Will O’Rourke failed to show any significant resistance with the bat.
Kyle Jamieson scored an unbeaten 4-ball 9, studding with one six.
For India, Varun Chakravarthy (5-42) bagged a five-for.
Kuldeep Yadav (2-56) picked up two wickets.
Hardik Pandya (1-22), Axar Patel (1-32) and Ravindra Jadeja (1-36) took a scalp each.
Earlier, Matt Henry’s (5-42) five-for restricted India on 249-9 in the 12th and final group match of the Champions Trophy at the Dubai stadium on Sunday.
After being put into bat, the Indian batters faced an early hiccup, losing Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli for just 30 runs. But Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel rebounded the India’s innings.
Iyer scored cautious 98-ball 79, lacing with four boundaries and two sixes. Patel scored 61-ball 42, scoring three boundaries and one six.
KL Rahul scored 29-ball 23, smashing one boundary.
Hardik Pandya smashed run-a-ball 45, scoring four boundaries and two sixes.
Ravindra Jadeja scored 20-ball 16, smashing one boundary.
Mohammed Shami scored 8-ball 5.
Kuldeep Yadav scored 1 run off 1 ball.
For New Zealand, Matt Henry bagged five wickets.
Kyle Jamieson (1-31), Will O’Rourke (1-47), Mitchell Santner (1-41), and Rachin Ravindra (1-31) took a scalp each.
