On Sunday, March 9, India will play New Zealand in the Champions Trophy 2025 final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
With India winning the group-stage match by 44 runs, this will be the second time the two countries have faced each other in the tournament.
India finished their league campaign undefeated, securing the top spot in Group A. In the end, they defeated Pakistan by six wickets and Bangladesh by six wickets. The Men in Blue defeated the Kiwis by 44 runs in their last league match.
New Zealand defeated Pakistan by 60 runs in their opening encounter. In their second game, the Black Caps defeated Bangladesh by a margin of five wickets. They placed second in their group as a result of their defeat against India in Dubai.
In their respective semi-finals, both teams came out on top. In a hotly contested match, India defeated Australia by four wickets. Conversely, New Zealand defeated South Africa by a margin of 50 runs. The forthcoming match will be a great chance for the countries to add to their history, as they have already faced each other in the 2000 final of the prestigious ODI competition.
If the game gets washed out, what will happen?
There is no doubt that in order to determine the winner, the entire match must be played. Clear skies are predicted for the event and the surrounding towns, according to AccuWeather. Rainfall is not anticipated, and temperatures are expected to rise to about 31°C. According to reports, the weather is pleasant and partially bright, making it the perfect place for a cricket match.
The game will be rescheduled for Monday, March 10, if it cannot be finished on the original date of March 9. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has set up reserve days for the semifinals and final before to the competition. The trophy will be divided between the two teams if the game is still unable to reach its ending point on the reserve day.
A comparable instance involving India in the same tournament’s 2002 edition is documented in history. Due to bad weather that spoilt the second innings on both days, Sri Lanka and India were declared equal victors, sharing the championship. Remarkably, Sri Lanka chose to bat first after winning the toss in both situations. On September 29 and 30, India was limited to playing two and 8.4 overs, respectively.