New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner won the toss and elected to bat first in the highly anticipated Champions Trophy 2025 final against India at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
“We are going to have a bat first. Looks like a pretty good wicket, similar to the one we played on against India a week ago,” said Santner. “Expecting a lot of blue shirts in the crowd, but we are up for the challenge. The conditions here are slightly different from what we experienced in Pakistan, and India have been in great form throughout the tournament.”
Praising his team’s performance, Santner added, “The most pleasing thing has been how different players have stepped up at crucial moments, and India have done the same. It’s going to be an exciting contest.”
In a significant blow to New Zealand, star pacer Matt Henry has been ruled out of the final due to injury. Nathan Smith replaces him in the playing XI.
