India and New Zealand will face off each other in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final in Dubai on Sunday. India qualified for the finals by beating Australia in the semi-finals, while the Kiwis went past the Proteas.
The stage is set now for the two teams to play a classic Champions Trophy final on Sunday. The two teams are meeting each other in a Champions Trophy final 25 years later after they faced off in the Champions Trophy final in 2000.
The Kiwis beat India to win the title 25 years ago. That kickstarted a very under-rated rivalry one that saw many classic contests down the years. The Kiwis beat India in the 2016 T20 World Cup, the 2019 ODI World Cup semi-final the 2021 T20 World Cup and very recently in the 2021 WTC final. India had their revenge when they beat the Kiwis in the 2023 ODI World Cup semi-final and recently in the ICC Champions Trophy league stage match in Dubai.
India, New Zealand's Road To CT2025 Final
India and New Zealand have both beaten Pakistan and Bangladesh in the league stage of the Champions Trophy. India got the better of the Kiwis in the encounter between the two teams. In the semi-finals then, India defeated Australia, and the Kiwis defeated the Proteas in a rather one-sided encounter in Lahore. The match in Sunday is expected to serve up another classic encounter between the two teams. The Men in Blue are gunning for their third Champions Trophy title while the Kiwis are eyeing their second.
What Happened In the IND vs NZ ICC Knock-Out Trophy Final In 2000
The two teams played the final in Nairobi 25 years ago. India posted 264/6 in 50 overs. with Sourav Ganguly scoring a 117 in the final. Sachin Tendulkar scored 69 off 83 balls and added a 141-run stand for the first wicket. However, New Zealand won the match with an unbeaten 102 from Chris Cairns. Nathan Astle (37), Roger Twose (31) and Chris Harris (46 off 72) played their part in the run-chase as well. The Kiwis ultimately won the game by chasing the target down in the final over with two balls remaining. The ICC Champions Trophy win in 2000 remains the only ICC title win for New Zealand.
Also Read: CT 2025: After body shaming Rohit Sharma, Shama Mohamed praises India's semi-final win
