Not Virat or Rohit: Kirmani picks India player who poses ‘big threat’ to New Zealand

BENGALURU: Former wicketkeeper batter Syed Kirmani believes India’s mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy will pose a massive “threat” to New Zealand in the Champions Trophy final in Dubai on Sunday.

In front of a sold-out crowd and a vibrant atmosphere, India and New Zealand will square off in the decisive battle for the coveted title. India will look to draw confidence from its previous 44-run success in the group stage.

India deployed a four-spinners ploy and reaped success with its subtle tactical play. Chakravarthy was the mastermind behind India’s success, and he caught New Zealand batters by weaving magic with his disguised variations.

He cleaned up Kiwis’ middle order and tail end, returning with figures of 5/42 after bowling a full quota of his 10 overs. Kirmani expects the mystery spinner to trouble a “competent” New Zealand side.

#WATCH | Bengaluru: On India vs New Zealand #ICCChampionsTrophy final to be played tomorrow in Dubai, former Cricketer Syed Kirmani says, “We are a very formidable side…We have played very well in all the matches…The match between India and New Zealand is going to be a very… pic.twitter.com/aTdNbijXzO

— ANI (@ANI) March 8, 2025

“We have four spinners in the team, and then to one, one mystery bowler is also there in the form of Varun Chakravarthy, where he has taken the previous match against the New Zealanders. He has taken 5-for-42, I think, and so he is in great form, and I think he will be a big threat to the New Zealanders. New Zealand is a very competent side,” Kirmani told ANI.

Unlike Pakistan, the Dubai strip hasn’t been home to high-scoring affairs. While many expect the pitch to behave similarly, Kirmani believes the team that puts up a 300-plus score will have an edge over its opposition.

“Batting first, they’ve got to score more than 300-plus if India has to win the finals, right? Otherwise, both teams, even if New Zealand bats first, it all depends on how much they’re going to score, but 300-plus should be the score on both sides,” he added.
Squads:

India Squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul(w), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakravarthy, Arshdeep Singh.

New Zealand Squad: Will Young, Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Rachin Ravindra, Tom Latham(w), Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (c), Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, William O’Rourke, Daryl Mitchell, Nathan Smith, Mark Chapman, Jacob Duffy. (ANI)