07 March 2025: New Zealand’s team is facing a major blow ahead of the Champions Trophy final against India in Dubai, as their key fast bowler, Matt Henry, is injured, and his participation in the final is currently uncertain. Speaking to the media in Dubai, New Zealand’s head coach Gary Stead stated that Matt Henry’s chances of playing in the final are still uncertain.
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The Champions Trophy final between India and New Zealand will be played on Sunday in Dubai. In the first semi-final played in Dubai, India easily defeated Australia, while New Zealand qualified for the final by defeating South Africa in the second semi-final at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.
Matt Henry is the most successful bowler of the Champions Trophy, having taken 10 wickets at an average of 16.70. He had claimed 5 wickets against India in a group match on March 2 in Dubai. The 33-year-old Matt Henry sustained an injury while taking a catch in the semi-final against South Africa in Lahore.
After the injury, he appeared to be in pain and left the field, but he bowled the final two overs of South Africa’s innings despite the injury.
New Zealand’s head coach Gary Stead said that it is a positive sign that Matt Henry returned to bowl in the semi-final against South Africa. He has undergone scans, and they are giving him every opportunity to play, but he is in significant pain. They hope he will recover by the final.
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Talking about the Champions Trophy final, New Zealand’s captain Mitchell Santner said that India has played all its matches in Dubai, so they are familiar with the pitches and conditions there. He mentioned that based on the pitches, one can tell how to play. He added that the pitch in Dubai might be slightly slower than Lahore’s, but they are playing against a good team, and they hope to score more runs compared to previous matches.
Mitchell Santner said that they have been scoring runs and hope to continue the trend. In this tournament, the general impression has been that teams have had a lot of ups and downs, and that’s part of the challenge. He mentioned that they have played in Pakistan and Dubai, and players these days understand the situation well.
The New Zealand captain emphasized that as long as the team is prepared for the match, everything is good. He felt that the semi-final match against South Africa in Lahore went well, and the players performed strongly against a tough team in the knockout stage. He said that the final will be very different, and the players know that they will try to perform better than in the group match against India.
On the other hand, the ICC has announced the match officials for the 2025 Champions Trophy final. Paul Reiffel and Richard Illingworth will serve as umpires, while Joel Wilson will be the third umpire, and Ranjan Madugalle will be the match referee.
