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Varun expected to continue his mystery; Henry doubtful for Champions Trophy Final: Check India vs New Zealand likely XIs
Rohit Sharma is expected to stick with the four spinners in the lineup for India vs New Zealand match today
The stage is set for the mega Champions Trophy clash, as India will look to give a final push to add another ICC title to their trophy cabinet, but New Zealand won't be a pushover at all. The two teams have played quality cricket throughout the tournament, and India will have a physiological advantage as they outclassed the Kiwis in the group stage at the same venue. However, India will enter the final with a fresh perspective, as New Zealand have inflicted some heartbreak on them in the ICC knockouts in the past. (IND vs NZ Live Score, Champions Trophy Final)
Rohit Sharma and Co. are expected to stick with the four spinners in the lineup as they will be hoping Varun Chakaravarthy to continue his purple patch. The mystery spinner claimed a five-wicket haul against New Zealand in the group stage to dismantle their batting line-up. The batting unit has also produced collective effort in the tournament so far, and head coach Gautam Gambhir and skipper Rohit Sharma won't take the risk of tinkering with the winning combination.
Meanwhile, New Zealand are in a spot of bother as their leading pacer and tournament's leading wicket-taker Matt Henry suffered a shoulder injury while taking a catch in the deep in the semi-final against South Africa.
New Zealand skipper Santner said that the management will take a final call after Saturday's training session.
"Matt's going to have a bowl just to see how he is," New Zealand skipper Santner told reporters on Saturday. "I guess we'll make a call after that."
However, Kiwis will also be quietly confident that their own set of spinners — skipper Mitchel Santner, Michael Bracewell, Ravindra and Glenn Phillips — can cause a lot of trouble for the Indian batters on the tricky Dubai surface.
The match is expected to be played on the same surface where India outclassed Pakistan in the group stage. The spinners played a crucial role in that match by restricting runs in the middle overs.
Check India and New Zealand Probable XIs
IND Probable XI: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Varun Chakaravarthy.
NZ Probable XI: Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson, Tom Latham(wk), Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner(c), Kyle Jamieson, William O'Rourke, Matt Henry/Nathan Smith
