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Photograph: (Source: YouTube)
India will play New Zealand in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final on March 9 in Dubai. Former England captain Nasser Hussain has encouraged the Black Caps to fight hard, even though India is the tournament's only undefeated team and the clear favourite going into the match. Hussain refuted any ideas that New Zealand will falter under duress by pointing out their capacity to succeed in the major stages.
Over the past ten or so years, India and New Zealand have been among the leading challengers for cricket's major championships, and former England captain Nasser Hussain has stated that the Kiwis are not to be taken lightly. The Kiwis have been the one side that has regularly competed in the ICC events and been recognized for their skills for more than 10 years. Hussain talked about how New Zealand has a history of stepping up when things get tough. remembering an exchange with Aaron Finch, a former batter for Australia.
Nasser Hussain Tips New Zealand:
Talking to Sky Sports he 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."
After defeating South Africa in the T20 World Cup final last year, India has a chance to capture a second ICC trophy in less than a year. Even though they needed only 30 runs to win off the final five overs of the match, South Africa, who are still working to overcome the deplorable reputation of being "chokers" when they compete in major tournaments, had lost. According to Hussain, New Zealand will likely be more difficult to deal with in those circumstances.
Hussain thinks New Zealand won't lose easily, even though Rohit Sharma and his team have an all-around team with top players in every position. He noted that the Kiwis have the ideal balance of youthful players like Rachin Ravindra and seasoned players like Kane Williamson.
He further added, "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."
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