Dubai: Team India continued its dominant run in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, securing a 44-run victory over New Zealand at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday. With this win, the Men in Blue completed a flawless group-stage campaign, finishing at the top of Group A with three wins in three matches and a net run rate of +0.715.
3/3 ✅ #TeamIndia will face Australia in the first Semi Final
Scoreboard ▶️ https://t.co/Ba4AY30p5i#NZvIND | #ChampionsTrophy pic.twitter.com/QxG9ZWeVMN— BCCI (@BCCI) March 2, 2025
Semifinal Fixtures Confirmed
With the win, India finished on top of the Group A points table and will now face Australia in the first semifinal on Tuesday in Dubai. Meanwhile, South Africa, who topped Group B, will take on New Zealand in the second semifinal on Wednesday in Karachi.
ICC CHAMPIONS TROPHY 2025 POINTS TABLE
GROUP A
| Team | Mat. | Won | Lost | NR | Points | NRR |
| India | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | +0.576 |
| New Zealand | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | +0.433 |
| Bangladesh | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | -0.443 |
| Pakistan | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | -1.087 |
GROUP B
| Team | Mat. | Won | Lost | NR | Points | NRR |
| South Africa | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | +2.395 |
| Australia | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | +0.475 |
| Afghanistan | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | -0.990 |
| England | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | -1.159 |
India Sets 250-Run Target, Williamson Fights Lone Battle
Batting first, India set a competitive target of 250 runs, thanks to a crucial knock from Shreyas Iyer, who scored 79 off 98 balls, including 4 fours and 2 sixes. Hardik Pandya played a vital role in the latter half of the innings, contributing a 45-run knock off 45 balls, laced with 4 fours and 2 sixes, helping India post 249 runs on the board.
In response, New Zealand’s chase was anchored by skipper Kane Williamson, who put up a valiant effort, scoring 81 runs off 120 balls, hitting 7 fours. However, despite his resilience, the White Ferns fell short, as India’s bowlers tightened their grip on the game. Mitchell Santner (28) and Will Young (22) were the only other notable contributors with the bat.
Varun Chakaravarthy Shines with Five-Wicket Haul
India’s spin attack proved to be the game-changer, with Varun Chakaravarthy leading the charge. The rising spinner delivered a match-winning spell, claiming 5 wickets for 42 runs in his 10-over quota. Kuldeep Yadav chipped in with two wickets, while Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, and Ravindra Jadeja picked up a wicket each. Star pacer Mohammed Shami, however, went wicketless.
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