Varun Chakravarthy Joins India’s Playing XI as New Zealand Stuns by Bowling First in Crucial Clash
India faces New Zealand in their last group-stage match of the Champions Trophy. This game will be held at the Dubai International Cricket Ground on Sunday. New Zealand won the toss and chose to bowl first, aiming to capitalize on the conditions.
Team Changes: Chakravarthy and Mitchell Come In
India made one change to their lineup. Varun Chakravarthy replaces Harshit Rana. New Zealand has made a change to their squad. Daryl Mitchell replaces Devon Conway.
This match is a milestone for Indian cricket. Virat Kohli is playing his 300th ODI. This shows his long career and skill in the sport.
Captains’ Reactions at the Toss
Mitchell Santner on Bowling First
New Zealand skipper Mitchell Santner explained the decision to field first, stating:
“We are going to have a bowl first. It looks like a pretty good wicket. We have seen a couple of games in this surface so we are hoping that it skids on later in the innings. I think we obviously want to win this game. We know we are going to be in Lahore in a pretty different surface but our job today is to secure a win before we move into the Semis.”
Rohit Sharma on India’s Batting Plan
India captain Rohit Sharma confirmed that batting first was always the team’s plan:
“We were going to bat first anyway. Having batted second in both games, we wanted to bat first today. We want to post good runs on the board and then challenge our bowlers to do the job. There is no change in our approach. It will be similar to the previous games. We will try to do the same things. We have made one change. We have rested Harshit Rana. Varun Chakaravarthy comes in place of him.”
India vs New Zealand: Playing XIs
India Playing XI:
- Rohit Sharma (c)
- Shubman Gill
- Virat Kohli
- Shreyas Iyer
- Axar Patel
- KL Rahul (wk)
- Hardik Pandya
- Ravindra Jadeja
- Mohammed Shami
- Kuldeep Yadav
- Varun Chakravarthy
New Zealand Playing XI:
- Rachin Ravindra
- Will Young
- Kane Williamson
- Daryl Mitchell
- Tom Latham (wk)
- Glenn Phillips
- Michael Bracewell
- Mitchell Santner (c)
- Matt Henry
- Kyle Jamieson
- William O’Rourke
Both teams are making strategic changes. India wants to set a tough total, while New Zealand aims to chase it down with confidence. The stage is set for an intense clash.