New Zealand have had the wood over India in ICC events and will probably be the toughest team for the Men in Blue to overcome in the final of the Champions Trophy 2025. Former India coach Ravi Shastri also feels that New Zealand are the only team that can beat India.
India start the Champions Trophy 2025 final as favourites, but if there is a team that can beat them, it is New Zealand, former head coach Ravi Shastri opined.
India defeated New Zealand in their group stage match after Varun Chakravarthy starred in the 249-run defence with a five-wicket haul. The Men in Blue finished on top of the Group A, while the Kiwis were second in the same group.
Ahead of the final, Shastri opined that India are favourites, but only just. “If there’s one team that can beat India, it’s New Zealand,” Shastri said in ‘The ICC Review. ‘ “So India start as favourites but only just,” he said referring to the final.
New Zealand have had the wood over the Indian team, having won three of the four ICC knockouts between them with India winning the only other. Shastri then highlighted four New Zealand players who can make a difference in the Champions Trophy final.
Shastri named Kane Williamson, Mitchell Santner, Rachin Ravindra and Glenn Phillips as the New Zealand players to watch out for and also praised Virat Kohli.
“Now (on) current form, Kohli. When these guys get hot, and you let them get their first 10 runs, then they’re trouble. Whether it’s Williamson, whether it’s Kohli,” Shastri said.
“So from New Zealand, I would say Williamson. To an extent, Ravindra is a fabulous young player. But these guys when they smell the coffee and you let them, in a final, get to that 10-15, then they’re doubly dangerous,” he said.
Rachin Ravindra has been a star for New Zealand in ICC events, having scored five centuries so far, including two in the Champions Trophy 2025. “I just like the way he moves in the crease,” Shastri said. “There’s an element of fluency, which is fabulous to see. He’s either forward, he’s back, he’ll cut, he’ll sweep it, play the quicks well, and he’s got a very good temperament.
“You don’t get hundreds in big tournaments like this just like that. You’ve got to have something up your sleeve, and I think he’s immensely talented.
Shastri also praised Santner for making having an impressive campaign in his leadership. “He’s an intelligent man. And I think this captaincy suits him,” Shastri said. “It just adds that edge to him as a batter, as a bowler, as a cricketer.
“So I think it’s a smart move by New Zealand opting for that and just the way he goes about his job, like I said, he’s a good reader of the game, is an intelligent bloke and should be there for some time for New Zealand.” The former India coach highlighted that Phillips has the ability to turn a match around single-handedly, as he also picked him as one of the Player-of-the-Match contenders alongside India’s Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja.
“Player of the Match, I would go for an all-rounder,” he said in The ICC Review. “I’ll say Axar Patel or Ravindra Jadeja from India. “From New Zealand, I think that Glenn Phillips has something up. He might just show flashes of brilliance in the field. He might come and smash a cameo of 40, 50 and probably surprise you by taking a wicket or two.”
