As New Zealand faces India in the final of the Champions Trophy, net bowler Shashwat Tiwari reveals that his team is facing a tough challenge preparing for India's spin quartet. In their group-stage meeting, New Zealand were tricked by Varun Chakravarthy's five-for, and now they are focusing on preparing for left-arm spinners like Ravindra Jadeja. However, with the experienced Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel in India's spin attack, it won't be an easy task for New Zealand's batters. Captain Mitchell Santner admits that they were troubled by spin in their semifinal clash against South Africa, and they will need to rotate strike and hit boundaries to counter India's spinners.
South African cricketer David Miller has raised concerns over the scheduling of the second Champions Trophy semifinal, which his team lost to New Zealand. Due to the hybrid format of the tournament, South Africa had to fly back and forth between Pakistan and Dubai in a short span of time, while their opponents were stationed in one venue. Despite wanting New Zealand to win the final against India, Miller expects a tough game.
In the second Champions Trophy semifinal, New Zealand's opening duo of Rachin Ravindra and Kane Williamson made history by scoring centuries each against South Africa. Their partnership of 164 runs set the stage for New Zealand to finish with a massive total of 362 for 6, the highest in Champions Trophy history. Despite a strong start from South African bowler Lungi Ngidi, who picked up three wickets, the later batters for New Zealand provided the final fireworks. This marks the end of the Champions Trophy in Pakistan, with the final now set to take place in Dubai between India and the winners of this match.
In a dominant performance, New Zealand's Kane Williamson and Rachin Ravindra lead their team to a 50-run victory over South Africa in the ICC Champions Trophy semifinals. Facing a mammoth target of 363, South Africa struggled to adapt to the pitch, while Williamson and Rachin expertly used the crease and angles to frustrate their opponents. Only bowler Keshav Maharaj was able to keep the Kiwi duo in check, but even he couldn't withstand their innovative tactics and calm demeanor. With this win, New Zealand secures a spot in the finals against India, solidifying their reputation as a formidable and professional team in the tournament.
In the 2025 Champions Trophy semi-final, New Zealand has won the toss and elected to bat first against South Africa. The winner of this game will face India in the final in Dubai. After losing to India in their previous match, New Zealand has retained the same playing eleven, while South Africa's captain Bavuma returns after illness and Markram retains his place after recovering from injury. Both teams are determined to win and secure their spot in the final.
Rain played spoilsport in the 10th game of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Lahore, forcing an early end to the exciting clash between Afghanistan and Australia. Despite an impressive innings by Sediqullah Atal (85), the Australians fought back with regular wickets and managed to restrict Afghanistan to 273 runs. In response, Australia's openers Travis Head and Matthew Short got off to a strong start but rain halted their momentum, leading to the match being called off after the final inspection. Now, Australia have secured their spot in the semi-finals, while South Africa and Afghanistan are tied with three points each. India and New Zealand have already qualified from Group A, making their upcoming match a crucial one to determine the group's topper.
In an intense rematch between the two favored teams, India emerged victorious once again against Nepal to claim the first-ever Kho Kho World Cup title. After defeating South Africa in the semi-final, the hosts remained undefeated throughout the tournament and continued their dominant streak in the final match. Despite a strong performance from Nepal's Rajan Bal, India was able to maintain a significant lead, clinching the win with a score of 54-36.
India ended their 2024 calendar year with a mix of successes and failures, highlighted by a T20 World Cup win and a disappointing ODI series loss. Looking ahead to 2025, India will have a packed schedule, starting with a final Test against Australia and then moving on to a limited-overs series against England. They will also prepare for the Champions Trophy, a five-match Test series against England, and a home series against South Africa. In total, India will play 18 T20Is, 9 Tests, and 12 ODIs in bilateral assignments outside of ICC and ACC tournaments.
With the WTC final set to take place in June 2025, defending champions Australia currently sit at second position in the points table. However, with three matches to go, including a crucial Test against India and two against Sri Lanka, Australia will secure their place in the final if they win at least one of those matches. South Africa has already qualified for the final, but the final spot is still up for grabs and will depend on the results of the upcoming matches.
India suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Australia in the fourth Test, putting their chances of making it to the World Test Championship Final in jeopardy. They will now have to win their final game against Australia and hope that Australia do not win against Sri Lanka in order to secure a spot in the final. With South Africa already qualifying for the final, India's chances are looking slim.