IND vs NZ Champions Trophy Final: New Zealand’s Dubai Fear, Williamson Points to Key Gaps

India vs New Zealand: The Indian team will face New Zealand in the final of the ICC Men's Champions Trophy 2025, to be played on 9 March.

New Zealand secured its place in the Champions Trophy final for the third time after defeating South Africa in the semi-final. The Kiwis, whose only loss in the tournament came against India, have dominated their opponents so far. However, they are feeling the pressure ahead of their title clash against India in Dubai.

India had the upper hand when the two teams met in the group stage, also in Dubai. All of India’s matches are being played there, creating challenges not only for New Zealand but for other teams as well. Kane Williamson acknowledged this issue after New Zealand's victory over South Africa.

Will Team India have an advantage?

After securing their clash with India in the final of the 2025 Champions Trophy, star batsman Kane Williamson stated that Rohit Sharma's team is intimately familiar with the Dubai International Stadium pitch. Williamson said, “I think Team India has played in Dubai many times and they now know how to play in the title match. So, it's not something we're really focusing on too closely. It's about the cricket we want to play and certainly taking the opposition into account, but playing well in the final.”

Last week, New Zealand lost to India by 44 runs in a Group A match in Dubai, a match in which Williamson played a brilliant innings of 81 runs. However, Williamson remains concerned that India have played all their matches here and have a better understanding of the pitch and conditions than they do. Williamson said, “The circumstances are different, so it's important that we try to negate the positives for Team India and be clear and good about how we're trying to operate in the two or three days leading up to the final.”

Williamson's comments indicate that the team is somewhat apprehensive about the advantage India is gaining from playing at the same venue. However, the Kiwi team cannot be underestimated. Their openers have amassed runs, their spinners are performing exceptionally well, and their fielding is top-notch. Therefore, the final on March 9 promises to be a high-voltage encounter.