In the seventh over, Mohammed Shami had a chance to dismiss Ravindra but dropped a return catch off his bowling. The ball chipped back towards Shami, struck the end of his left hand, causing bleeding. The Indian pacer required immediate medical attention from the physio but resumed bowling after a brief treatment. This was not the first time Shami dropped a catch in the tournament, as he missed two opportunities in the semi-final against Australia.
New Zealand openers Rachin Ravindra and Will Young gave their team a steady start after captain Mitchell Santner won the toss and opted to bat first against India in the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. The duo put on a 57-run stand for the first wicket, marking the highest opening partnership against India in the tournament.
Chakaravarthy ends partnership
Rachin Ravindra got another reprieve in the eighth over when Shreyas Iyer failed to take a catch off Varun Chakaravarthy’s bowling. However, Chakaravarthy soon broke the opening stand, dismissing Young for 15 off 23 balls.
New Zealand made one change, with Nathan Smith replacing the injured Matt Henry. India retained the same playing XI from the semi-final. This was the 12th consecutive ODI toss loss for Rohit Sharma, who remained unfazed, emphasising the importance of playing well regardless of the toss outcome.