Will New Zealand neutralise India's spin threat in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final?

New Zealand is all set to face India in the highly anticipated final of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, and one player who has become the talk of the tournament is India's mystery spinner, Varun Chakravarthy. Despite having played only three ODIs, Chakravarthy has quickly made a name for himself, particularly in his recent encounter against New Zealand. In that match, the spinner unleashed a brilliant performance, running through the Kiwi batting line-up and claiming his maiden five-wicket haul in ODIs. His exceptional display of spin bowling helped India dominate New Zealand and put them on the back foot.

As India prepares for the final, New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner has acknowledged the challenge Chakravarthy poses but is confident that his side will be better equipped to face him in the summit clash. Santner believes that with the lessons learned from their previous encounter, the Black Caps will be more prepared to handle the spin threat and tackle the mystery bowler effectively. The final promises to be an exciting contest, with Chakravarthy's spin bowling being a key factor for India, while New Zealand will aim to overcome this challenge and claim their second ICC Champions Trophy title.

Varun Chakravarthy's remarkable performance in the previous match against New Zealand has made a lasting impression. His five-wicket haul of 5/42 completely dismantled the Kiwi middle order, showcasing his ability to wreak havoc with the ball. Complementing his performance, India's other spinners, including Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, and Ravindra Jadeja, also played key roles in restricting the scoring rate during the middle overs, tightening the noose around New Zealand. Chakravarthy's most notable scalp came when he dismissed New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner, who was bowled out after the delivery rattled his off stump.

With the Dubai pitch continuing to favor spinners throughout the tournament, New Zealand faces a tough challenge in countering India's potent spin attack in the final. However, Santner remains optimistic, knowing his team has already faced Chakravarthy’s spin challenge once before. The Kiwi captain believes that the experience of tackling India's spinners will help his side come up with a better strategy to counter them in the high-stakes final. As both teams prepare for a thrilling contest, the spin battle is expected to be a decisive factor in determining the outcome of the match.

"I think guys will be better for the run against Varun. He's obviously a world-class bowler we've seen it here and in the IPL. He's got that little bit of mystery. But it was the first time some of the guys have been facing him. I think they'll learn from the other day," stated New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner in a conversation with the media reporters. 

"If the pitch plays a similar way, it's going to be a challenge along with all three of their other spinners. I think the boys will be ready for tomorrow having looked at a little bit more footage. We know what his threats are now. That 115kph arm ball, that got me - that was a bit of a threat. I think the way Axar and Jadeja denied us for a long time, it might be something similar again on a slow wicket, where it's as if you can kind of just rotate and hit the odd bad ball away, you can get yourself up to a decent score," he added.