3 player battles to watch out for in India vs New Zealand, Match 12 of 2025 Champions Trophy ft. Virat Kohli vs Michael Bracewell

Team India and New Zealand will battle it out against each other in the final group-stage match of the 2025 Champions Trophy. The game will be played at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai on Sunday, March 2.

Both sides come into the contest unbeaten and having secured semifinal berths. However, they still have a lot to play for as the winner of the clash will finish as the table-toppers of Group A.

The Men in Blue will be high on confidence following back-to-back wins against Bangladesh and Pakistan. However, they have had a tough time against the Blackcaps in ICC events. India and New Zealand have locked horns 14 times in white-ball ICC events, out of which the latter have emerged victorious on nine occasions.

New Zealand kicked off their 2025 Champions Trophy campaign with victories over Pakistan and Bangladesh. They are currently placed at the top of Group A with four points and a net run rate of 0.863.

Rohit Sharma and Co. are second in the standings with four points and a net run rate of 0.647. The winner of the encounter will take on Australia in the semifinal, while the losing team will meet Group B's table-toppers South Africa in the knockout round.

Ahead of the upcoming 2025 Champions Trophy match, let's take a look at three key matchups.

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#1 Virat Kohli (IND) vs Michael Bracewell (NZ)

Virat Kohli roared back to form with an unbeaten 100-run knock in 111 balls in India's six-wicket victory against Pakistan. He notched up his 51st ODI century and also became the fastest player to complete 14,000 runs in the format (287 innings).

All eyes will be on Kohli as he plays his 300th ODI match. The last time Kohli played an ODI against New Zealand was during the 2023 World Cup semifinals. During the match, he broke Sachin Tendulkar's record of most ODI centuries as he brought up his 50th ton.

The ace batter scored 117 runs off 113 deliveries. His contest against New Zealand off-spinner Michael Bracewell could be an interesting one. Kohli has had his share of issues against spinners lately.

While his struggles have been mostly against wrist spinners, Bracewell could trouble him with his tidy bowling. The two would also know a bit about each other's game, given that they shared the dressing room for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in 2023.

Bracewell was the Player of the Match in New Zealand's previous match of the 2025 Champions Trophy. He registered figures of 10-0-26-4. The 34-year-old has bagged five scalps in two matches this edition, the most by a spinner.

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#2 Mohammed Shami (IND) vs Rachin Ravindra (NZ)

Some reports have suggested that India could rest veteran seamer Mohammed Shami. However, the side have seldom tinkered with their winning combination in a big tournament, unless an injury occurs.

The seasoned campaigner began the 2025 Champions Trophy by registering his sixth ODI five-wicket haul. He finished with stunning figures of 10-0-53-5 against Bangladesh. Although he remained wicketless in the subsequent clash with Pakistan, he has been a proven performer for his side in ICC events.

He will be up against New Zealand's top-order batter Rachin Ravindra, who has also been a consistent performer for his team in showpiece events so far. The youngster has four centuries from 11 innings in ICC ODI tournaments, the highest by a Kiwi batter. He scored 112 in 105 balls against Bangladesh in the 2025 Champions Trophy.

It is worth mentioning that Shami dismissed Ravindra two times in as many innings at the 2023 ODI World Cup. The battle between the two players who have risen to big occasions will be an exciting one for the viewers.

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#3 Rohit Sharma (IND) vs Will O’Rourke (NZ)

India skipper Rohit Sharma has backed his counter-attacking approach in the 2025 Champions Trophy so far. He has registered scores of 41 and 20 thus far. He is expected to continue with the aggressive playing style as it has reaped great benefits for him in the past.

New Zealand pacer Will O’Rourke could pose a challenge to Sharma. The tall fast bowler has been in impressive form in the competition, picking up five wickets across two matches. Sharma and O’Rourke's face-off could be an enthralling affair.

Sharma seemed to have hurt his hamstring while fielding against Pakistan. It remains to be seen if the week's break between the two matches was enough to recover from the niggle.