These 5 players will be the biggest rivals in the India vs New Zealand final

 The Indian cricket team will take on the New Zealand cricket team in the final of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. The match will be played on Sunday, March 9 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai. India has played all its matches in Dubai and has also defeated New Zealand here once, so it will have the upper hand in this final match. With both the teams playing in this final match, all eyes will be on those players. A look at the battle of the top five players for the final of IND vs NZ ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

1. Rohit Sharma vs Matt Henry

Indian captain Rohit Sharma has not performed well in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 so far. He has scored 104 runs in four matches so far at a strike rate of 107.21, with his best score being 41. If Rohit Sharma stays at the crease for the first 7-10 overs, it will be difficult for New Zealand to dismiss him.

New Zealand team has a great solution to Rohit in the form of fast bowler Matt Henry. Henry has taken 10 wickets in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, including a five-wicket haul against India on the same ground. Although there are question marks over his fitness after suffering a shoulder injury in the semi-final against South Africa in Lahore, if he is fit, Henry is expected to play at full strength in the final.

2. Virat Kohli vs Mitchell Santner

Virat Kohli is in great form in the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy 2025. He has scored 217 runs so far with a century and an 84-run innings against Australia in the semi-finals. He has an average of 72.33 and a strike rate of 83.14. It will be a great contest against each other under the pressure of the final. Kohli will try to score runs from Santner while the left-arm spinner is considered clever and smart and will want to force the ODI great to score runs.

3. Varun Chakravarthy vs Kane Williamson

Kane Williamson is the mainstay of New Zealand's batting lineup. This is evident from the 220 runs he has scored in the current tournament, which includes a century and a half-century. Free from the burden of captaincy, Williamson has scored at an average of 48 and a strike rate of 86.

Rohit Sharma will use his trump card Varun Chakravarthy to get Kane Williamson out early. Williamson kept the Kiwis in the match by scoring 81 runs in Dubai in the group stage, and although he dismissed Varun easily, the off-spinner is expected to get him out early, as he had dismissed Travis Head in a similar fashion.

4. Rachin Ravindra vs Mohammed Shami

Rachin Ravindra failed in the group stage match against India, getting out for just six runs. However, he returned to form by scoring his fifth century in the ICC event and scored 112 against South Africa in the second semi-final.

Who better to counter Rachin Ravindra than India's own Mohammed Shami? Shami, the senior pacer in the Indian contingent, has taken eight wickets in the ongoing tournament, including a five-wicket haul against Bangladesh. He bowled just four overs against the Kiwis, but in the semi-final, he troubled the Australian openers.

5. Tom Latham vs KL Rahul

Both Tom Latham and KL Rahul have performed well in the tournament. Tom Latham has been the backbone of New Zealand's middle order, scoring 205 runs at a strike rate of 94 with a best score of 118*. KL Rahul has only scored 106 runs, but they have come at a strike rate of 97, and he has carried India across the finishing line with ease. In the semi-finals, Rahul showed that he can also hit the big shots when needed, and is expected to be a nightmare for the Kiwi bowlers.