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Champions Trophy 2025 Final: “Forget You’re Facing India”: Shoaib Akhtar’s Bold Advice to New Zealand

Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar urges New Zealand to erase any thoughts of being underdogs if they want to beat India in the highly anticipated Champions Trophy 2025 final.

March 8, 2025: The Champions Trophy 2025 final is set to be a thrilling encounter as India takes on New Zealand in Dubai on Sunday. With an unbeaten run in the tournament so far, India enters the title clash as favorites, aiming for their third Champions Trophy triumph after victories in 2002 and 2013. However, New Zealand’s commanding semi-final win against South Africa suggests they are more than capable of staging an upset.

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Ahead of the blockbuster final, former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar shared blunt advice for the Black Caps. Speaking on Game on Hai with Shoaib Malik, Akhtar emphasized that New Zealand must abandon any thoughts of inferiority if they hope to challenge India.

“If you want to beat India, forget that you’re facing India. Forget that you are a lesser team. Forget that you’re not as good. Santner has that belief; I have seen it in him. As a captain, he wants to win the title,” Akhtar said.

Akhtar stressed that New Zealand must counter India’s aggressive approach, especially from captain Rohit Sharma, who will likely go after their spinners.

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“You have to do the right thing at the right time. You have to break the onslaught. Rohit Sharma will attack. He will try to neutralize your spinners, especially Santner. At that moment, Santner must lead from the front. If you ask me, the odds are 70-30 in favor of India when considering their batting, spinners, and experience. But if New Zealand brings their A-game, they can pull off a win,” he added.

Strike Rotation Key to Success, Says Shoaib Malik

During the discussion, former Pakistan all-rounder Shoaib Malik highlighted that New Zealand must focus on rotating the strike, an area where Indian batters excel. He pointed to Steve Smith’s semi-final knock of 73 against India as an example of how to negate their world-class spinners.

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“What separates Indian batters is their ability to rotate the strike. That plays a huge role in helping them set big totals and chase effectively. Smith’s innings was a great example—he utilized the extra fielder inside the circle, came down the track, and found the gaps. If New Zealand wants to compete, their batters must ensure that those who get into the 20s or 30s push on to 80s, 90s, or even a hundred,” Malik explained.

As anticipation builds for the final, New Zealand faces a formidable challenge against an in-form Indian side. Whether they can implement Akhtar and Malik’s advice and pull off a stunning upset remains to be seen.