Sun Mar 09 09:00:00 UTC 2025: ## India’s Shami and Pandya Silence New Zealand in Champions Trophy Final
**Dubai, UAE –** India made a strong start in the Champions Trophy 2025 final against New Zealand, restricting the Kiwis to a meager score in the early overs. Mohammed Shami conceded just four runs in his opening over, followed by an even more impressive two-run over from Hardik Pandya.
New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner won the toss and elected to bat first at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. This marked yet another toss loss for India captain Rohit Sharma, tying him with Brian Lara’s record of 12 consecutive lost tosses in ODI cricket.
However, India received a boost with the absence of New Zealand’s key pacer, Matt Henry, who was ruled out due to injury. Nathan Smith replaced Henry in the New Zealand XI. India remained unchanged from their previous match. The match is expected to be closely contested, despite India’s strong start to the bowling innings.
First Piper 