In a dramatic Group A clash of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, India beat New Zealand by 44 runs at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. The combination of disciplined bowling and an aggressive batsman performance saw India’s Men in Blue secure their second triumph in the tournament. After posting 249/9 over 50 overs, India’s bowlers – led by Varun Chakravarthy as well as Kuldeep Yadav — restricted New Zealand to 205 in 45.3 overs.
Let’s take a look at most important moments, highlights as well as the complete New Zealand National Cricket Team Vs India National Cricket Team Match Scorecard
Toss & Playing XIs
New Zealand won the toss and chose to bowl first, on a surface which appeared dry, but offered the seamers some assistance early on.
New Zealand Playing XI:
Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson (c), Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (wk), Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, William O’Rourke
India Playing XI:
Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy
Read More: Sri Lanka National Cricket Team vs New Zealand National Cricket Team Timeline
India Innings: Battling to 249
India’s run-rate was one of recovering from early setbacks. They scored 249/9 across their 50 overs due to crucial contribution from Shreyas Iyer (79 off 98), Hardik Pandya (45 off 45) as well as Axar Patel (42 off 61).
India Batting Scorecard
| Batter | Dismissal | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | SR |
| Rohit Sharma (c) | c Will Young b Jamieson | 15 | 17 | 1 | 1 | 88.24 |
| Shubman Gill | lbw b Matt Henry | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 28.57 |
| Virat Kohli | c Glenn Phillips b Matt Henry | 11 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 78.57 |
| Shreyas Iyer | c Will Young b O’Rourke | 79 | 98 | 4 | 2 | 80.61 |
| Axar Patel | c Williamson b Rachin Ravindra | 42 | 61 | 6 | 1 | 168.85 |
| KL Rahul (wk) | c Latham b Santner | 23 | 29 | 1 | 0 | 79.31 |
| Hardik Pandya | c Rachin Ravindra b Matt Henry | 45 | 45 | 4 | 2 | 100.00 |
| Ravindra Jadeja | c Williamson b Matt Henry | 16 | 20 | 1 | 0 | 80.00 |
| Mohammed Shami | c Glenn Phillips b Matt Henry | 5 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 62.50 |
| Kuldeep Yadav | not out | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 |
| Varun Chakravarthy | Did not bat | — | — | — | — | — |
Extras: 10 (b 1, lb 0, w 9, nb 0)
Total: 249/9 in 50 overs
Fall of Wickets:
15/1 (Gill), 22/2 (Rohit), 30/3 (Kohli), 128/4 (Axar), 172/5 (Iyer), 182/6 (Rahul), 223/7 (Jadeja), 246/8 (Pandya), 249/9 (Shami)
New Zealand Bowling Scorecard
| Bowler | Overs | Runs | Wkts | Econ |
| Matt Henry | 8.0 | 42 | 5 | 5.25 |
| Kyle Jamieson | 8.0 | 31 | 1 | 3.88 |
| William O’Rourke | 9.0 | 47 | 1 | 5.22 |
| Mitchell Santner | 10.0 | 41 | 1 | 4.10 |
| Michael Bracewell | 9.0 | 56 | 0 | 6.22 |
| Rachin Ravindra | 6.0 | 31 | 1 | 5.17 |
New Zealand Innings: Spinners Seal It for India
Chasing 250, New Zealand faltered against the spin trio of Varun Chakravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, and Ravindra Jadeja. Varun was the standout bowler, picking up 5 wickets for 24 runs and completely derailing the middle-order.
New Zealand Batting Scorecard
| Batter | Dismissal | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | SR |
| Will Young | b Varun Chakravarthy | 22 | 35 | 3 | 0 | 62.86 |
| Rachin Ravindra | c Axar Patel b Hardik Pandya | 6 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 50.00 |
| Kane Williamson (c) | st Rahul b Axar Patel | 81 | 120 | 7 | 0 | 67.50 |
| Daryl Mitchell | lbw b Kuldeep Yadav | 17 | 35 | 1 | 0 | 48.57 |
| Tom Latham (wk) | lbw b Ravindra Jadeja | 14 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 70.00 |
| Glenn Phillips | lbw b Varun Chakravarthy | 12 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 150.00 |
| Michael Bracewell | lbw b Varun Chakravarthy | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 66.67 |
| Mitchell Santner | b Varun Chakravarthy | 28 | 31 | 1 | 2 | 90.32 |
| Matt Henry | c Kohli b Varun Chakravarthy | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 50.00 |
| Kyle Jamieson | not out | 9 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 22.50 |
| William O’Rourke | b Kuldeep Yadav | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 50.00 |
Extras: 11 (lb 2, w 8, nb 1)
Total: 205 all out in 45.3 overs
Fall of Wickets:
17/1 (Ravindra), 49/2 (Young), 93/3 (Mitchell), 133/4 (Latham), 151/5 (Phillips), 159/6 (Bracewell), 169/7 (Williamson), 195/8 (Santner), 196/9 (Henry), 205/10 (O’Rourke)
India Bowling Scorecard
| Bowler | Overs | Runs | Wkts | Econ |
| Mohammed Shami | 4.0 | 15 | 0 | 3.75 |
| Hardik Pandya | 4.0 | 22 | 1 | 5.50 |
| Axar Patel | 10.0 | 32 | 1 | 3.20 |
| Varun Chakravarthy | 10.0 | 42 | 5 | 4.20 |
| Kuldeep Yadav | 9.3 | 56 | 2 | 5.89 |
| Ravindra Jadeja | 8.0 | 36 | 1 | 4.50 |
Read More: Delhi Capitals vs Sunrisers Hyderabad Match Scorecard
Player of the Match: Varun Chakravarthy
Varun’s magical spell of 5/42 turned the game firmly in India’s favor. His control, deception, and ability to break partnerships at crucial moments halted New Zealand’s chase and earned him the Player of the Match award.
Key Moments & Match Analysis
- Top-order collapse for India: Reduced to 30/3 early, India looked in trouble. Shreyas Iyer’s calm knock and the partnerships that followed set up a fighting total.
- Matt Henry’s fiery spell: Picking up 5 wickets, Henry was relentless and broke the back of India’s batting lineup.
- Williamson’s lone resistance: His 81 anchored the chase, but he lacked support from the middle and lower order.
- Chakravarthy’s spin web: The mystery spinner was unplayable, grabbing 5 wickets and turning the match decisively.
What’s Next?
India moves ahead with strong momentum in Group A, while New Zealand will need to bounce back quickly to stay alive in the race to the semifinals. The Dubai pitch once again proved to be a surface where spinners dominate, and this trend may influence team selections in the coming matches.
Final Thoughts
This clash was a perfect display of how pressure, patience, and spinners can dictate a game in subcontinental-like conditions. India’s all-round performance, especially with the ball, proved too much for New Zealand.
