IPL chairman backs India to conquer final vs NZ

New Delhi, Mar 8: As India gears up for yet another ICC final, IPL Chairman Arun Dhumal has extended his best wishes to the Men in Blue ahead of their highly anticipated Champions Trophy 2025 final against New Zealand at the Dubai International Stadium here on Sunday. With an unbeaten run in the tournament, Rohit Sharma’s men will be eyeing their third Champions Trophy title, while the Black Caps will look to relive their glorious 2000 triumph when they won their first ICC event by defeating India in the final.

"I wish Team India all the very best. It is phenomenal that we have reached back-to-back four finals. Some of the players didn't get a chance in the ODI World Cup last time. This (Champions Trophy) is another major ICC tournament.

India has beaten Australia in the semis, and hopefully, they will conquer the final against New Zealand in Dubai," IPL Chairman Arun Dhumal told IANS.

India has been a dominant force in the eight-team tournament, riding a four-match winning streak into the final. They topped Group A with comprehensive victories over Bangladesh, arch-rivals Pakistan, and New Zealand before overcoming a strong Australian side in the semi-finals with a four-wicket win.

New Zealand, on the other hand, secured their knockout berth after beating Pakistan and Bangladesh in the group stage. They lost to India in their final group match but bounced back strongly, outclassing South Africa by 50 runs in the semifinals to set up the summit clash.

Despite India’s recent dominance in ODI cricket, history favours New Zealand when it comes to ICC knockout matches. The two teams have faced off four times in ICC knockout fixtures, with the Black Caps leading 3-1.

While past records favour Mitchell Santner's side, India will take confidence from their recent victory over the Kiwis in the group stage of this tournament and the 2023 World Cup semifinal.

In the 119 ODIs played between India and New Zealand, the Men in Blue have a clear advantage with 61 wins, while the Black Caps have emerged victorious 50 times. One game ended in a tie, while seven matches produced no result.