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- IND vs NZ, Champions Trophy 2025: Iyer's fifty to Chakravarthy's fifer - 5 key takeaways from India's win
IND vs NZ, Champions Trophy 2025: Iyer's fifty to Chakravarthy's fifer - 5 key takeaways from India's win
India finished on top of the Group A points table with the third successive win of their Champions Trophy 2025 after defeating New Zealand by 44 runs in Dubai.
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Team India remained unbeaten throughout the group stage and successfully finished on the top of the Group A points after defeating New Zealand by 44 runs in the Champions Trophy clash at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday, March 2.
After posting a total of 249/9, India bowlers bundled out New Zealand for 205 in 45.3 overs despite a resilient 81 off 120 balls by Kane Williamson. Mitchell Santner gave India a scare by anchoring Kiwis’ innings but his dismissal turned the tables on them again.Varun Chakravarthy led India’s bowling attack with his maiden fifer in his ODI career. Kuldeep Yadav picked two wickets, while Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, and Ravindra Jadeja picked a wicket each.
Apart from India’s win against New Zealand in the Champions Trophy 2025 clash, let’s take a look at five key takeaways from the final group stage match.
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1. Shreyas Iyer's valiant fifty
Shreyas Iyer stepped up for the team and put up a valiant performance with the bat when he was needed the most. Iyer played an innings of 79 off 98 balls that helped India post a respectable total of 249/9 in 50 overs. Walked in at 22/2, Iyer anchored the India’s innings brilliantly with a composure while forming a crucial 98-run partnership with Axar Patel (42) for the fourth wicket to help revive the side from a shambolic situation of 30/2 to 128/2 before the latter was dismissed. Iyer continued from where he left in the previous match against Pakistan, scoring a vital 56 of 76 balls in India’s six-wicket win. Iyer has been in brilliant form ever since his return to Team India in the ODI series against England.
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2. Virat Kohli’s cheap dismissal in his 300th ODI
Virat Kohli’s outing in his 300th ODI didn’t go well as expected as he was dismissed for just 11 off 14 balls by Matt Henry. Many were expecting Kohli to come up with a good performance in the milestone game of his illustrious ODI career. However, that was not to be the case. The 36-year-old started off his 300 ODI match with a couple of boundaries before he was dismissed by Henry. In the seventh over, Kohli attempted for a boundary off Henry’s delivery, but Glenn Phillips, who was stationed at the backward point, reacted late to a hard cut shot flying to his right and took a stunning horizontal catch. Kohli was stunned but at the same he was disappointed to have not performed in his 300th ODI match.
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3. Matt Henry led New Zealand's bowling attack
Matt Henry shouldered the responsibility of leading New Zealand’s attack and he did it brilliantly as he picked five wickets in a crucial clash against India. Henry picked the wickets of Shubuman Gill, Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja, Hardik Pandya, and Mohammed Shami to register figures of 5/42 at an economy rate of 5.25 in eight overs. Henry put India on the backfoot with the crucial wickets of Gill and Kohli early on in the match. Then, he picked the wicket of Hardik, who was looking in a good rhythm and on the course for his 12th ODI fifty. Henry’s wicket of Hardik Pandya helped New Zealand restrict India below 250 in 50 overs. He is now leading wicket-taker of the ongoing Champions Trophy 2025, with eight scalps.
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4. Kane Williamson returns to form ahead of semifinal
After two dismal performances against Pakistan and Bangladesh, Kane Williamson made his timely return to form ahead of the semifinal match against South Africa. Walking out to bat after New Zealand lost an early wicket of Rachin Ravindra at 17/1, Williamson anchored the innings while getting support from Daryll Mitchell and Tom Latham. Kane Williamson played a resilient innings of 81 off 120 balls to put New Zealand in a position to chase down a 250-run target. However, his dismissal by Axar Patel turned the tables on New Zealand, who eventually fell 45 runs short of the target with 4.3 overs left. However, the talismanic batter finding his rhythm ahead of the semifinal is a big positive for New Zealand management.
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5. Varun Chakravarthy's impressive performance
Varun Chakravarthy played a pivotal role in India’s 44-run win against New Zealand. Chakravarthy made his Champions Trophy debut and put up an impressive performance as he registered his maiden five-wicket haul in ODI career. He picked up the wickets of Will Young, Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner, and Matt Henry to register figures 5/42 at an economy rate of 4.2 in 10 overs. He picked a crucial wicket of Santner as the New Zealand skipper was anchoring the team’s run-chase. He was adjudged Player of the Match award for his bowling brilliance. He has been in a brilliant form ever since making his Team India comeback after a gap of three years in a T20I series against Bangladesh in October last year.