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Right then, the group stage of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy has concluded, and the tournament now moves into the high-stakes knockout phase. Four teams have bowed out, leaving India, New Zealand, South Africa, and Australia in the hunt for the title. Interestingly, these are the same four teams that made it to the semifinals of the 2023 ODI World Cup. The first semifinal will take place on Tuesday, 4th March, at the Dubai International Stadium, where India will face Australia. The second semifinal is scheduled for Wednesday, 5th March, at Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium, featuring New Zealand against South Africa. Both matches will begin at 2.30 pm IST (9 am GMT). As always, join us early for all the pre-match excitement and build-up to these encounters. Until then, take care and goodbye!

The skipper of India, Rohit Sharma says that it was important to finish on a high. Adds that New Zealand have been playing some good cricket in recent years and they needed this result. Mentions that after losing three wickets in the first Powerplay, they needed a couple of partnerships and Iyer and Axar provided them with that while Hardik also did well. Says that they thought that it was a total they could work with as they have a lot of quality in their bowling attack. Further adds that there is no doubt that Varun has something different in him and it is a nice headache to have ahead of the next game. Tells that it is good that they are not making the same mistakes and learning from them with each game and that is exactly what you need to do in this format. Says that Australia have a rich history in ICC tournaments but it is about how they approach that game and hopefully get the better of them to make it to the final.

The captain of New Zealand, Mitchell Santner acknowledges that they expected the wicket to be on the slower side but hadn’t encountered such conditions earlier in the tournament. He credits India for batting well in the middle phase and then applying pressure with the ball. Santner admits they would have taken 250 at the start of the day but concedes that the pitch offered more spin than anticipated. He is pleased with their efforts in the first Powerplay, where they picked up key wickets, and highlights Kane Williamson finding form as a positive takeaway from the match.

Varun Chakaravarthy is the PLAYER OF THE MATCH for his five-wicket haul. He says that he was feeling nervous at the start as he had not played many ODIs but as the game progressed, he felt better with each wicket. Adds that everyone talked to him, particularly Virat and Rohit, and they helped him to settle down his nerves. Mentions that he found out last night that he will be playing in this game. Further adds that he was expecting to play, but on the other side, he was feeling nervous. Tells that the pitch wasn’t a rank-turner, but if you bowled in the right areas with the right lengths, then there was a certain amount of help for the spinners. Concludes by saying that this win was a team effort.

The presentation ceremony...

Earlier, after New Zealand opted to bowl first, Matt Henry and Kyle Jamieson combined to dismantle India’s top three in the first Powerplay. Axar Patel and Shreyas Iyer steadied the innings with a crucial 98-run stand, but their dismissals came at an inopportune time, stalling India's acceleration. The late flourish never quite materialized, as the Kiwi bowlers cleverly varied their pace and lengths to restrict India to 249. For New Zealand, Matt Henry starred with the ball, claiming a five-wicket haul, while every bowler apart from Michael Bracewell chipped in with at least one wicket.

Axar Patel snared Williamson on the last ball of his spell, tilting the scales massively in India's favour. The Kiwis had a fleeting hope through their skipper Mitchell Santner’s hitting but Varun Chakaravarthy nipped him in the bud and effectively sealed the fate of this game. Varun was instrumental in the middle phase and stood out for India with his maiden ODI five-wicket haul.

In their pursuit of 250, Kane Williamson led the charge for the Kiwis after the early loss of Rachin Ravindra. Will Young's promising stay was cut short, and from there, India applied the brakes through their spinners. It was a real graft out there, but Williamson dug in, and as the ball aged, the Indian spinners found increasing purchase from the surface. The pressure created by the spinners resulted in India picking up wickets at regular intervals. As Williamson kept losing partners, the Kiwis struggled to build any meaningful momentum.

India make it three from three! With this result, they head into the semifinals as Group A toppers and have set up a semifinal showdown with Australia here in Dubai. For New Zealand, it was a trial by spin, with 9 out of 10 wickets falling to the spinners. The relentless stranglehold never allowed them to break free. They now head to Lahore, where they will face the Group B toppers, South Africa for a place in the final.

OUT! TIMBER! Kuldeep Yadav wraps things up for the Men in Blue! He dishes out a googly, full and on leg, grips and turns away sharply. Will O'Rourke fails to read it and strides out to play at it but the ball spins past the outside edge and rattles the stumps. INDIA WIN BY 44 RUNS!

OUT! TIMBER! Kuldeep Yadav wraps things up for the Men in Blue! He dishes out a googly, full and on leg, grips and turns away sharply. Will O'Rourke fails to read it and strides out to play at it but the ball spins past the outside edge and rattles the stumps. INDIA WIN BY 44 RUNS!

Floated, full and on off, Kyle Jamieson pushes it towards covers for one.

SIX! Excellent shot! Tossed up, full and on middle. Kyle Jamieson gets his front foot out of the way and dispatches it over the bowler's head for a biggie.

Slows it up, full and on off, Kyle Jamieson pushes it towards covers for one. Varun Chakaravarthy finishes a fantastic bowling spell with figures of 10-0-42-5.

Quicker, full and on off, Will O'Rourke works it off the inner half of his bat towards square leg for a run.

Will O'Rourke is the last man in.

OUT! TAKEN! NUMBER FIVE FOR VARUN! What an elite performance from the mystery spinner and he just keeps on getting better and better. Maiden ODI five-wicket haul for Varun. Tosses this one up, full and on off. Matt Henry looks for the big slog but fails to get under it. He mistimes it as the ball goes high in the air towards long off. Virat Kohli runs forward, settles under it, and pouches it safely. India are just one wicket away from the win now!