India and New Zealand will play the final of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai on Sunday.
The sides faced off earlier in the tournament at the same venue where India beat New Zealand by 44 runs.
This will be the third time the two teams square off in the ICC Champions Trophy. Before 2025, they had played the final during the 2000 edition where New Zealand prevailed by four wickets.
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ODI STATS IN DUBAI INTERNATIONAL CRICKET STADIUM
Matches played: 62
Team batting first won: 23
Team batting second won: 37
No Result: 1
Tied: 1
Highest team total: 355/5 (50) – England vs Pakistan (2015)
Lowest team total: 124 all out (35.2) – Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh (2018)
Highest 1st innings total: 355/5 (50) – England vs Pakistan (2015)
Highest successful chase: 287/8 (49.4) – Sri Lanka vs Pakistan (2019)
IND vs NZ FINAL PITCH REPORT
The title match is expected to be played on the same strip that was used for India’s match against Pakistan on February 23. Pakistan posted 241 in the first innings and India chased down the target in the 43rd over with six wickets in hand.
“This is a pitch where it won’t be easy to hit sixes. A score of about 270 should be a score you could defend,” Sunil Gavaskar and Ian Bishop had opined about the match surface before the Pakistan game.
All of India’s games have been played in Dubai this Champions Trophy, and teams batting second have won three out of the four times. The highest chase at the ground has been by India, when it shot down 265-run target set by Australia in the semifinal.
In the four games in this Champions Trophy, spinners have taken 30 wickets at an average of 35 and an economy of 4.77. Pacers have the same number of wicket but at a better average of 28 and an economy of 5.36.
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TOSS FACTOR
After the semifinal, India captain Rohit Sharma said the side expected the pitch to get better to bat under lights. He added that the they expected the pitch to get slower as well.
This could prompt the captain winning the toss to opt to field.
However, the toss has not been a decisive factor in determining the outcome of matches at this ground. Out of 62 games, teams winning the toss have emerged victorious just 29 times.
