Former England captain Nasser Hussain believes that New Zealand are their favourite in the finals of the Champions Trophy 2025.
Despite India entering the summit clash as an unbeaten side, he is confident that New Zealand will not be choking under pressure mentioning their ability to perform on the big occasions.
The Kiwis have been that one team who have consistently performed in the ICC events and received recognition for their abilities.
Speaking in the media, Nasser Hussain said, “They will not bottle it, they won’t choke. We were having dinner with [former Australia batter] Aaron Finch and he summed it up pretty well in saying New Zealand are never a side that beat themselves.”
“And by that, he means that they will rock up, and they will put in a performance.”
“All the way through the New Zealand lineup they have some very, very tough cricketers who turn up to every single game and give it their absolute best – that’s why they will always be there around semi-finals and finals,” said Hussain.
The Blackcaps stormed into the final with a clinical 50-run victory over South Africa in the semi final. Santner-led side’s bowling attack could use a strong factor on a used pitch.
While Rohit Sharma‘s side consists experienced all-rounder squad with star performance across all units, Nasser Hussain believes that New Zealand would give a tough fight.
He pointed Kiwi’s side has a mixture of experience and young players like Kane Willamson and Rachin Ravindra.
“They also have that great mixture between senior pros that have been there year in, year out like Kane Williamson, one of the all-time greats – and youth in the likes of Rachin Ravindra. They may well lose [New Zealand], but if they do, it will be because India beat them,” he added.
India and New Zealand will clash once again in the finals of the Champions Trophy 2025 on March 09 at Dubai International Stadium.
