Shoaib Akhtar and Shoaib Malik stress the need for India to forget: New Zealand must bring their A-game in Champions Trophy final

Despite the odds being heavily stacked against them, New Zealand is not to be underestimated. While India may appear stronger on paper and in form, the Mitchell Santner-led squad has the potential to challenge their supremacy and potentially take home the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. The final is anything but a mere formality, and Rohit Sharma lifting the trophy on Sunday is far from inevitable. New Zealand has proven time and time again that they are a force to be reckoned with, and India would be wise to approach the match with caution.

One of the most consistent sides across formats in the last decade, New Zealand have not won an ICC white-ball title since their Champions Trophy win in 2000. Guess who they beat in the final? India! Ahead of the rematch of another Champions Trophy final 25 years later, former Pakistan cricketers Shoaib Akhtar and Shoaib Malik discuss how the Kiwis can turn the tables on an invincible-looking Indian side.

Also Read: 'What advantage? Because we won four matches to reach final...': India's sharp retort to ICC doing partiality claims

Akhtar said New Zealand should forget that they are entering the final as the underdogs. "Ye bhul jana chaie ki India samne hai, ye bhul jana chahie ki aap lesser team hai. (It should be forgotten that you are up against India, you should forget that you are the underdogs). You should forget that you are not good. Santner has that belief. I have seen it in him. As a captain, he wants to win the title.," Akhtar said on 'Game on Hai'.

The Rawalpindi Express said one of New Zealand's biggest challenges in Sunday's final would be keeping India captain Rohit Sharma quiet in the powerplay. Akhtar said Rohit would definitely try to attack the New Zealand bowlers in the first 10 overs, and Santner's role as the leader would be of the utmost importance.

"You have to do the right thing at the right time. You have to break the onslaught. Rohit Sharma will on the attack. He will try to neutralise your spinners. He will attack Santner. At that point, he has to handle his team as a leader. If you ask me about odds I would say 70-30 to India. When it comes to batting, their spinners, and their maturity, but if New Zealand can bring their A-game on that day (they can win)," he added.

Malik says follow Steve Smith

Former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik said New Zealand batters should take a leaf out of Australia batter Steve Smith's book. Smith scored a solid 73 in the semi-final against India, negating the spinners beautifully.

"What separates Indian batters is their ability to rotate the strike. That plays a huge role in taking them to a good total and even while chasing a good score. The innings that Smith played is a good example to negate the Indian spinners. He made use of then extra fielder in the circle, came down the track, tried to find the gaps. Thirdly, whoever gets into 20s-30s should try and get to 80s, 90s or 100," he said.

ICC Champions Trophy , ICC Champions Trophy Schedule , and Champions Trophy 2025 Points Table – stay ahead with real-time match updates, team standings, and insights. Check live cricket score , player stats, and ICC rankings of top players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli . Get expert analysis, match previews, and in-depth coverage of ICC CT 2025, IPL 2025 Schedule and IPL 2025, all on HT Crickit, powered by Hindustan Times – your trusted source for cricket news along with India vs New Zealand Live Score. .freemium-card h4{color:#fff; padding-bottom:20px;} .freemium-card .freemium-content .subcTxt{padding-bottom:16px; color:#fff;} .freemium-card .freemium-content{width: auto; max-width: inherit;} .freemium-card .freemium-content .subcTxt{max-width:inherit; font-size:18px; padding-top:0; line-height:24px} .freemium-card .btnSubc{margin} .freemium-card .btnSubc a{background:#000; color:#fff; min-width:auto; padding:5px 15px; border-radius:6px; font-size:16px; line-height:22px; font-weight:700;} .freemium-card{height:285px} @media (max-width: 767px) { .freemium-card h4{font-size:28px} .freemium-card .freemium-content{max-width:360px; padding: 20px;} .freemium-card{height:303px; background-position: 100% 0; } }