Two of the most consistent Teams in ICC tournaments in the last decade face off. India got past the Australia challenge but they will be very watchful of the challenge New Zealand bring. New Zealand were the ones who stopped India in the 2019 World Cup and in the 2021 WTC Finals. Mitchell Santner has been pretty proactive as a captain, leading from the front and Glenn Phillips has made his mark in the field. 

For India, could this be a farewell for Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli? That is a discussion for later. India will be pleased though to have made the Final without Bumrah. They went with their spin strength, backing four spinners and Varun Chakravarthy in particular has been the one to watch in the tournament with some really sharp spells.

IND vs NZ Match Details

Date: March 9th, 2025

Time:  2:30 PM IST

Venue: Dubai International Stadium

IND vs NZ Weather Report

Clear weather and a nice evening is expected for the game.

India vs New Zealand Pitch Report

Average Score Batting First in the last four games: 245

Average Score Batting Second in the last four games: 237

Wins Batting First in the last four games: 1

Wins Batting Second in the last four games: 3

Batting second may seem a better choice but the pressure of a Final and a slow track could make batting first a better way to go. Runs on the board are worth gold and a score in the 270s and above could well be enough to put the chasing side under a lot of pressure.

See Also: South Africa vs New Zealand Dream XI Prediction

India vs New Zealand Head to Head

Stats	Matches	IND Won	NZ Won	NR	Tie
Overall	119	61	50	7	1
At Dubai	0	0	0	0	0
Last Five ODIs	5	5	0	0	0

India vs New Zealand Predicted Playing XI

India Playing XI

Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammad Shami, Varun Chakravarthy, Harsith Rana/ Kuldeep Yadav

New Zealand Playing XI

Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham, Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner, Matt Henry/ Nathan Smith, Kyle Jamieson, Will O Rourkee

India vs New Zealand Key Players

Varun Chakravarthy

Varun Chakravarthy has been quick to make an impact on the tournament. In Bumrah's absence he has stepped up as a trump card and the Final could be his moment to shine. His ability to perform under pressure will be a question but his skill certainly gives him the upper hand in the contest.

Matt Henry

Matt Henry's availability remains uncertain and India will be watching closely. He is the last one remaining from New Zealand's golden bowling generation and he has tormented the Indians well in the past, leaving India with a lot of bad memories. He will be looking at the nagging length again and Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will be eager to get past him. 

IND vs NZ Match Tips

Both sides tend to have some jitters in the closing stages of tournaments. India has a few advantages with knowledge of the venue and superior spinners but New Zealand is a side that has had the better of India in the bigger moments and they could be looking for another such moment where they have the time of their lives.

Match Prediction: New Zealand Will Win the Match