Former England captain Nasser Hussain has weighed in on the potential winner of the 2025 Champions Trophy final between India and New Zealand. He believes the Black Caps won’t falter this time, as they possess several resilient cricketers who consistently deliver strong performances.
After facing off in the group stage of the eight-team tournament, the two sides are set to clash again in the final on Sunday, March 9, in Dubai. Led by Rohit Sharma, India enters the contest as the firm favorite, given their familiarity with the venue and well-rounded strength in white-ball cricket.
Notably, the Men in Blue remain the only unbeaten team in the competition. Speaking to Sky Sports, Nasser Hussain recalled Aaron Finch’s remarks, emphasizing that New Zealand is a team that doesn’t self-destruct and has key players who thrive on big occasions. He elaborated:
“They will not bottle it, they won’t choke. We were having dinner with [former Australia batter] Aaron Finch and he summed it up pretty well in saying New Zealand are never a side that beat themselves. And by that, he means that they will rock up and they will put in a performance.”
“All the way through the New Zealand lineup they have some very, very tough cricketers who turn up to every single game and give it their absolute best – that’s why they will always be there around semi-finals and finals.”
New Zealand secured a dominant win over South Africa in the semi-finals at Gaddafi Stadium. Kane Williamson and Rachin Ravindra shone with centuries, while skipper Mitchell Santner led the attack with three wickets. The Kiwis restricted the Proteas to 312/9, sealing a 50-run victory.
Nasser Hussain praises New Zealand’s mix of experience and youth
Hussain emphasized that Team India must work hard to secure victory against the Kiwis in the final, stating:
“They also have that great mixture between senior pros that have been there year in, year out – like Kane Williamson, one of the all-time greats – and youth in the likes of Rachin Ravindra. They may well lose [New Zealand], but if they do, it will be because India beat them.”
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