India play their final league match of the Champions Trophy 2025 on Sunday when they take on New Zealand at the Dubai International Stadium. The stakes may not be high, with both teams already qualified for the semi-finals, but recent history suggests that no New Zealand-India game should be taken lightly. Remember, the Kiwis recently beat India 3-0 in a home Test series to end the Men in Blue’s 12-year home series dominance.
Shami to miss out Dubai clash?
Ahead of the start of the India-New Zealand clash in Dubai, reports have suggested that veteran Indian pacer Mohammed Shami, who did not prove effective in the India-Pakistan game, could be rested for the upcoming match.
Instead, Shami could be replaced by left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh, who is seen as a possible weapon to tackle the five left-armers in the New Zealand batting line-up.
According to a PTI report, Arshdeep did the bulk of the bowling during a practice session on Friday and is likely to replace Shami in the India XI on Sunday.
Reportedly, Arshdeep bowled 13 overs at full pace under the watchful eye of assistant coach Morne Morkel, while Shami bowled just 6-7 overs and wasn’t in full swing. The veteran pacer had also received treatment on his right leg after bowling his third over in Pakistan, and resting him during the upcoming match could help his body recover for the upcoming semi-final clashes.
Speaking to the reporters about India’s preparation for New Zealand clash, India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate said, “We’ve had two pretty tough training sessions, so that’s been the preparation. In terms of the bench strength, I think the priority is making sure that we have our best guys available and fully fit for the second game (semi-final match),”
“But we also don’t want to rest them for another two days. So to get that balance right, we might just try to share the bowling out a little bit. But we obviously want to win against New Zealand as well. It’s important that we keep that momentum going. And obviously to top the group as well. So the balance of those two things I just mentioned for the selection to be thought about,” the India assistant coach added.
