India continued their unbeaten run in the Champions Trophy 2025, beating New Zealand by 44 runs.
Also Read – Kohli Saves RCB from Rohit’s Mega Blunder
With this win, India topped Group A and will now face Australia in the semi-finals.The match saw early batting struggles, but a middle-order fightback and a ruthless spin attack turned it in India’s favour.
India batted first and were rocked early with Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli going for cheap scores and were 30/3.
Also Read – IPL 2025: Most Crucial Bowlers for RCB
But Shreyas Iyer anchored the innings with 79 while Axar Patel chipped in with 42. Hardik Pandya provided late acceleration with a counter-attacking 45, taking India to 249/9 in 50 overs.
Matt Henry was the standout bowler for New Zealand, taking 5 wickets and preventing India from getting bigger total.
Also Read – IPL 2025: Poor Form of 3 Players May Trouble RCB
New Zealand’s chase revolved around their captain Kane Williamson who played a fighting 81.
But he didn’t get support as Varun Chakravarthy spun a web around the middle order and finished with 5/42.
Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja controlled the game with disciplined bowling and never let New Zealand build any momentum.
Despite Williamson’s resistance, New Zealand crumbled under pressure and were bowled out for 205 in 45.3 overs.
With this win, Rohit Sharma becomes the only captain in cricket history to qualify for three consecutive ICC tournament semi-finals without losing a match.
His leadership has been instrumental in India’s supremacy on the global stage.This win also sends a big warning to Australia, India’s next opponent.
Aussies have historically struggled against quality spin and with Chakravarthy, Jadeja and Axar in form, the Dubai pitch could be a nightmare for them.
India remains unbeaten and has shown incredible adaptability and depth. Different players have stepped up when needed and are one of the most balanced and dangerous teams in the tournament.
Now India isn’t just looking for another win, they have their eyes on the trophy.
