"It's not a bad idea" - Mohammad Kaif suggests playing XI change to Rohit Sharma for IND vs NZ 2025 Champions Trophy match

Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif believes India should make one change to the playing XI for their upcoming 2025 Champions Trophy match against New Zealand. He opined that off-spinner Washington Sundar should play, considering the Blackcaps have many left-handed batters in their lineup.

Both India and New Zealand have qualified for the 2025 Champions Trophy semifinals. The winner of their upcoming match will finish as the table-toppers of Group A.

Sundar was benched for India's first two group-stage matches as the team management went ahead with Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav as their spin-bowling options. Suggesting that the all-rounder should play against New Zealand, Kaif wrote on X:

"It's not a bad idea to play Washington Sundar against a NZ side full of lefties - Conway, Rachin, Latham, Bracewell, Santner. They could well be our final opponent. So worth testing them against Washington."

Sundar played just one game in India's three-match home ODI series against England earlier this month. He registered figures of 5-0-43-1 and scored 14 runs from as many balls in the dead rubber third ODI.

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"Five wickets are more important " - Mohammad Kaif believes Azmatullah Omarzai deserved to win POTM award in AFG vs ENG 2025 Champions Trophy match

Afghanistan kept their semifinal hopes alive with a stunning eight-run win over England in Lahore on Wednesday, February 26. England, on the other hand, suffered a group-stage exit.

Afghan opener Ibrahim Zadran registered the highest individual score in the tournament's history. He scored 177 runs off 146 balls, playing a key role in the side posting a 325-run total. The youngster was adjudged the Player of the Match for his batting exploits.

Mohammad Kaif reckoned that all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai should have been named the Player of the Match for his five-wicket haul. He also played a crucial 41-run knock in 31 balls.

Kaif said on News 18 (quoted by Sports Tak):

"My Man of the Match is Azmatullah Omarzai. He took five wickets on a pitch that had nothing for the fast bowlers. England almost won the game and he proved to be the difference in the end. Omarzai also scored runs for the team. Five wickets are more important than the runs posted by Zadran."

Afghanistan will take on Australia in their last group match at the same venue on Friday, February 28. A win against the Aussies will take them into the 2025 Champions Trophy semifinals.