March 9, 2025; Kane Williamson’s poor record in ICC ODI finals continued in the ICC Champions Trophy final on Sunday at Dubai International Stadium, as he was dismissed for just 11 runs in a disappointing innings.
The New Zealand captain’s struggles in the big-match finals are becoming a recurring theme, as his short stay at the crease ended when he handed an easy catch to Kuldeep Yadav, becoming the third wicket of the match. Williamson faced 14 balls, with his only contribution being a single boundary off Mohammed Shami.
This marked Williamson’s third consecutive disappointing performance in an ICC ODI final. His previous scores in such matches were 12 runs against Australia in the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup final in Melbourne, and 30 runs against England in the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup final in London. Across his three ICC ODI final appearances, Williamson has accumulated just 53 runs in three innings, highlighting his struggles on the biggest stage.
However, it’s worth noting that Williamson’s overall record in ICC finals across various formats remains solid. In total, he has scored 239 runs in six innings across five matches in ICC finals, maintaining an impressive average of 47.80. He has also posted half-centuries in both the 2021 T20 World Cup final against Australia and the ICC World Test Championship final against India in the same year, with his best score being 85.
In the Champions Trophy final, New Zealand won the toss and opted to bat first. Despite a promising start with a 57-run opening partnership between Will Young (15) and Rachin Ravindra (37 off 29 balls, which included four boundaries and a six), the Kiwis lost their momentum after the early dismissals of Young, Ravindra, and Williamson. At the end of 20 overs, New Zealand was 101/3, with Tom Latham (12*) and Daryl Mitchell (17*) remaining unbeaten.
As the match progressed, New Zealand will need to regroup and stage a strong recovery if they are to post a competitive total. The early wickets of key players like Williamson have already given India a firm grip on the match.