India, having secured their place in the semi-finals, will face New Zealand in their final Group A match of the Champions Trophy 2025, scheduled for Sunday in Dubai. New Zealand has also confirmed their advancement to the semi-finals, but this match will determine the final rankings within Group A. Currently, New Zealand leads the group, sharing points with India but boasting a superior net run rate.

The two teams last clashed in an ICC global event during the semi-finals of the 2023 ODI World Cup, where India emerged victorious on home soil. This previous encounter will serve as motivation for Rohit Sharma and his team; however, historically, India has struggled against New Zealand in major tournaments. India trails with a record of 5 wins to 10 losses, having been defeated by New Zealand in the WTC final and during the semi-finals of the 2019 ODI World Cup, which marked MS Dhoni’s final appearance in international cricket.

For the upcoming match, India is anticipated to implement 1-2 changes to their playing XI to provide rest to some key players.

In the match against New Zealand, India is likely to retain their opening partnership of captain Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill. Rohit, who was dismissed early for 20 runs off 15 balls against Pakistan, will aim to rectify his performance. Conversely, Shubman Gill, who played a pivotal role with an unbeaten century against Bangladesh, narrowly missed a half-century in the match against Pakistan.

Virat Kohli is expected to bat at number three. Despite previous concerns regarding his form, he silenced critics with a match-winning unbeaten century against Pakistan, which included the decisive boundary that marked his 51st ODI century. Shreyas Iyer, who has solidified his position in the ODI lineup, will follow at number four after scoring a half-century in the last match.

All-rounders Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel are projected to occupy the fifth and sixth positions, respectively, to accelerate India's scoring during the middle overs.

Wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul, having secured his position as the primary wicketkeeper ahead of Rishabh Pant, is set to bat at number 7, with all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja following him in the lineup. Hardik Pandya will provide support to the bowlers with his pace, while Axar Patel and Jadeja will collaborate with Kuldeep Yadav to handle the spin responsibilities. The tail of the batting order will feature pacers Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh, along with spinner Kuldeep Yadav. Arshdeep is anticipated to take the place of Shami, who will be given a rest.

India’s playing XI vs New Zealand-

Openers: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill

Top order and middle order: Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk)

All-rounders: Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja

Bowlers: Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav

Read Also: 'If You’re a Good Team, Play 10 Tests, ODIs, T20Is Against Pakistan': Saqlain Mushtaq Challenges BCCI

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