Dubai: Varun Chakravarthy's exceptional bowling performance powered India to a 44-run victory over New Zealand in the final group stage match in the ongoing Champions Trophy on Sunday.
Chakravarthy’s brilliant spell of 5/42 helped India bowl out New Zealand for 205, securing a crucial win.
Kane Williamson kept New Zealand in the run chase with a sublime 81 before the Black Caps ended with 205 all out in 45.3 overs.
Varun Chakravarthy was the standout bowler for India, taking five wickets for 42 runs in 10 overs.
As table toppers, India will face Australia in the first semifinal on Tuesday while New Zealand will play South Africa in Lahore on Wednesday.
Brief Scores: India 249-9 in 50 overs (S. Iyer 79, A. Patel 42, H. Pandya 45; M. Henry 5-42); New Zealand 205 all out in 45.3 overs (K. Williamson 81, M. Santner 28; V. Chakravarthy 5-42).
Earlier, India scored 249 for 9 against New Zealand in their last Group A match of the Champions Trophy here on Sunday.
Shreyas Iyer top-scored for India with 79 off 98 balls while Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel chipped in with 45 and 42 respectively.
For New Zealand, Matt Henry (5/42) grabbed a five-wicket haul to be the most successful bowler. Brief Scores: India: 249 for 9 in 50 overs (Shreyas Iyer 79; Matt Henry 5/42).
Henry once again proved to be India's nemesis with the new ball, delivering a crucial powerplay spell. Henry added two key wickets to his tally, removing the in-form Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli.
Henry’s dominance in the powerplay against India is reflected in his record—10 wickets in 48 overs at an average of 20.20, a strike rate of 28.8, and an economy of just 4.20, underlining his effectiveness against the Men in Blue.
The Kiwi pacer made an early impact by dismissing Gill for just 2 runs, tilting the momentum in New Zealand’s favor. He then delivered a major blow by sending Kohli back to the pavilion. The Indian star looked in good touch before Glenn Phillips’ stunning one-handed catch at point ended his innings.
Earlier, New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner won the toss and opted to bowl first in their final group-stage match against India at the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, held at the Dubai International Stadium.
The result of the fixture will also decide the teams that will face off in the semi-finals, with South Africa and Australia having finished as the top-two sides in Group B.
New Zealand kicked off their campaign with a win against hosts Pakistan and then defeated Bangladesh to secure qualification for the next round.
Pipped among the favourites to go all the way, India is also in red-hot form, having emerged victorious against Bangladesh and Pakistan.
At the end of 20 overs, India is struggling at 78/3, with Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel showing resilience at the crease. The duo has stitched together a 49-run partnership, steadying the innings after the early setbacks. As the match progresses, India will be looking to rebuild and post a competitive total against a disciplined New Zealand attack.
Teams:
India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy.
New Zealand: Rachin Ravindra, Will Young, Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (wk), Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (c), Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Will O'Rourke. (PTI)
Published: 02 Mar 2025, 02:29 pm IST
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