According to former Sri Lankan captain Sanath Jayasuriya, teams do not need exceptional individuals to win T20 matches, but decent players can still contribute to a team's victory if they play well together.

Also read: T20 World Cup 2022: BCCI planning to arrange more warm-up games for India, team set to depart for Australia early

Jayasuriya believes the Sri Lankan team will do well in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia. The 53-year-old who contributed significantly to Sri Lanka's victory in the 1996 ODI World Cup is confident about their team.

Not many experts had predicted Sri Lanka's victory in the recently held Asia Cup 2022, where they lost to Afghanistan before defeating India and Pakistan to win the tournament for a shocking fifth time. But cricket great Sanath Jayasuriya did not seem surprised. "I wasn't really surprised, because we have a good bunch of cricketers who peaked at the right time. They lost their first game . Anybody can lose a game and come back. They realised what went wrong, worked hard on their individual games and performed as a team. You don't need to have outstanding players , but good players, who perform as a team," Jayasuriya said.

"T20 cricket is a team game, it's a fast game. The boys are playing good cricket and whoever does well on that particular day is going to win the game," he added. He also believed that comparing them to the famous 1996 World Cup winning team is unfair. "As long as they play their own game, do their basics right, they will enjoy their cricket." 

Also read: T20 World Cup 2022: New Zealand unveil their jersey

Sanath Jayasuriya is optimistic that high-profile cricket will return to their country. He also revealed that SL will organize their T20 Premier League in December. Jayasuriya, who has been named as the brand ambassador for Sri Lankan tourism, took time out from his busy schedule to attend a press conference to promote tourism in Sri Lanka. He is currently in India to play a few tournaments for Legends League.

Indian bowler Mohammed Shami recently demanded the ICC to lift the ban on applying saliva on ball. Now former New Zealand bowler Tim Southee and former South African all-rounder Vernon Philander have supported Shami's demand.

Shami, while talking to reporters after Team India's 4-wicket win over Australia in the first semi-final of the Champions Trophy, had requested the ICC to lift the ban on the use of saliva on ball.

Also Read: Champions Trophy 2025 Final: India vs New Zealand match preview | Head-to-head stats, Possible XI, match prediction, streaming details

Use of saliva on ball should be allowed to bring back reverse swing

"We are trying (to get reverse swing), but the usage of saliva on the ball is not allowed," Shami told reporters.

"We keep appealing that we should be allowed to use saliva so that we can bring reverse swing back into the game and it becomes interesting."

Southee and Philander backed Shami

Supporting Shami's statement, Southee said on ESPNcricinfo's Match Day, "That was a rule brought around Covid with the virus going around the world, but I think as a bowler, you want to have a slight advantage," 

"We see the game going the way it's going and seeing sides score 362 and more often than not over 300 in this format. I think there needs to be something in the bowlers' favour, and whether that's a little bit of saliva, then yeah, I don't see why they couldn't afford to get that back in."

At the same time, Philander said that in the second semi-final played against New Zealand, the South African bowlers could have benefited from applying saliva and using reverse swing, particularly in the later half of the innings. New Zealand amassed 362 for 6 in their 50 overs.

"If we look at the state of that ball, I mean towards the back end, it was really scuffed up, and I think had you used the saliva [to polish one side of the ball], the element of the reverse swing might have come into play," Philander said.

"So it certainly does play a part. You can get it to shine up and you use the elements to swing it a little longer."

Also Read: Most ICC Finals as captain

Use of saliva banned during COVID 19

The ban on the use of saliva on ball was first imposed in May 2020 as a temporary measure during the COVID-19 pandemic. Then, in September 2022, the ICC made the ban permanent.

The title match of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 will be played between India and New Zealand on March 9 at Dubai International Cricket Stadium. India defeated Australia in the semi-finals, while New Zealand entered the title match by defeating South Africa.

After 25 years, once again these two teams will face each other in the title match of ICC's limited overs format.

India and New Zealand teams have clashed in the finals of ICC tournaments twice. The last time the two teams played each other was in the final of the World Test Championship (WTC) in 2021. 

In this title match, which lasted for six days due to rain, New Zealand's team dominated India and won by eight wickets.

India are going into the final of another ICC event unbeaten and will look to win their second consecutive title after the 2024 T20 World Cup triumph. 

On the other hand, New Zealand are also coming after a dominant run so far with their only loss coming against India in the group stage. 

Here is everything you need to know before the India vs New Zealand title clash in Champions Trophy 2025. 

Also Read: Most ICC Finals as captain

Match Details 

• Match: India vs New Zealand 
• Tournament: Champions Trophy 2025, Final
• Date: 7 March 2025
• Time: 2:30 PM IST
• Venue: Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai

Streaming Details 

The live telecast of the India vs New Zealand Final match will be available on the Star Sports network in India.

The live streaming will be available on the JioHostar App and website in India.

India vs New Zealand: Head-to-head stats in ODIs

New Zealand and India have faced each other 119 times in the ODI format so far. Out of these 119 matches, India have won 61 times while New Zealand come out victorious on 50 occasions.

One match also ended in a tie while seven matches ended in a draw between New Zealand and India in the ODI format. 

India vs New Zealand: Pitch Report

The surface of the new pitch looked suitable for the fast bowlers in the last two matches played at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

At the start of the game, the pace bowlers got much support from the pitch. However, as the game progressed, the batters started getting support due to perfect pace and bounce.

The team winning the toss will prefer to chase the target on this ground.

Out of the 62 ODI matches played at this ground, the team batting won 23 times while the chasing team came out victorious on 37 occasions. 

Team News: India

It’s difficult to see India changing a playing XI that brought them a 44-run win against New Zealand as well as a four-wicket win over Australia in their semifinal .

The introduction of Varun Chakravarthy has paid off with seven wickets in two games, which means he will keep his place, and Harshit Rana will sit out the final.

Also Read: Virat Kohli stats in ICC Tournaments

Team News: New Zealand 

New Zealand had a slight scare during their semifinal when Henry seemingly injured his shoulder while diving in the field. The New Zealand camp are hopeful that the key fast bowler will be declared fit for the final.

If Henry is cleared to play, the Blackcaps are expected to remain unchanged as well.

India vs New Zealand: Possible Lineups

India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy.

New Zealand: Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (wk), Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (c), Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, William ORourke.

Fantasy team prediction: India vs New Zealand 

Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Kane Williamson, Shreyas Iyer, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Mitchell Santner, Kuldeep Yadav, Matt Henry, Mohammed Shami.

ICC tournaments is what for every cricket player is waits for. However, reaching the finals as a captain of their national side is a different kind of achievement for any player around the globe.

Meanwhile, in this article Sportzpoint will give you the details of the players who played the most ICC Finals as captain of their side.

Read Also: Player of the series winners in T20 World Cup History

Kane Williamson | New Zealand | 3 ICC Finals

• ICC ODI World Cup 2019
  
• ICC World Test Championship 2021
  
• ICC T20 World Cup 2021

The former blackcaps captain Kane Williamson has played 3 ICC finals as captain. That's include, 2019 ICC ODI World Cup, 2021 WTC and 2021 T20 World Cup.

In which, Kane led his team through the finals but failed two times to lift the trophy. However, New Zealand lifted the first World Test Championship under him in 2021.

Although, Kane loses the world cup 2019 final against England on a boundary count. After the loss in 2019 NZ again loses under Kane in the T20 World Cup 2021 final against the Aussies.

Sourav Ganguly | India | 3 ICC Finals

• ICC Champions Trophy 2000
• ICC Champions Trophy 2002
• ICC ODI World Cup 2003

The former BCCI President and Indian skipper, Sourav Ganguly has guided India in 3 ICC finals. In those finals India lost two of them.

Sourav Ganguly's only victory in an ICC tournament, 2002 ICC Champions Trophy. However, that trophy was shared with Sri Lanka. Dada had two more hits at an ICC championship but unfortunately failed.

Ganguly had taken over the reins of the Indian Team after the infamous fixing controversy. A relatively inexperienced skipper then, Ganguly did well to help India reach the finals of the 2000 Champions Trophy.

The southpaw even hit a century in that game and had the match in control, but the Kiwis chased down India's target of 265 with two balls remaining.

Later, in South Africa, Ganguly led India to the finals of the 2003 World Cup but was blown away by a dominant performance by the Aussies.

Clive Lloyd | West Indies | 3 ICC Finals

• ICC ODI World Cup 1975
• ICC ODI World Cup 1979
• ICC ODI World Cup 1983

No true cricket fan can ever forget the name of the first-ever World Cup-winning captain Clive Lloyd.

Clive Lloyd is credited for leading West Indies to both of its ICC Cricket World Cup titles. He captained the West Indian side between 1974 to 1985 and moulded them into a dominant test-playing nation during his time.

West Indies won both the inaugural ICC Cricket World Cup in 1975 and the second Cricket World Cup in 1979 under Lloyd.

However, in 1983 ODI World Cup Clive Lloyd's team loses in the finals against India. So the carebean great played 3 ICC finals as captain for his side.

Brian Lara | West Indies | 3 ICC Finals

• ICC Champions Trophy 1998
• ICC ODI World Cup 1999
• ICC Champions Trophy 2000

Another carebean batting giant, Brian Lara comes on the list of most ICC Finals as captain.

Lara has played 3 ICC finals as captain in his career and two of them are Champions Trophy. However, another one is ICC cricket World Cup in 1999,that they lost in the finals.

After the 1979 World Cup, West Indies had not won an ICC Trophy.

A legendary batsman, the task of winning a trophy fell on Brian Lara's shoulders. The most experienced ODI captain of the West Indies, Lara won one Champions Trophy but lost two of them in the finals.

Rohit Sharma* | India | 4 ICC Finals

• ICC World Test Championship 2023
• ICC ODI World Cup 2023
• ICC T20 World Cup 2024
• ICC Champions Trophy 2025

Rohit Sharma is now the only captain to have led his team to the finals of all International Cricket Council (ICC) tournaments: ODI World Cup, T20 World Cup, Champions Trophy and World Test Championship (WTC). And he has achieved that in just three years' time.

In 2023, India qualified for the WTC final and the ODI World Cup final, losing to Australia on both the occasions. The next year, in 2024, India won the T20 World Cup under Rohit by beating South Africa in the final.

It was India's first ICC title in 10 years and the second T20 World Cup triumph since 2007.

If India go on to win this Champions Trophy, Rohit will join MS Dhoni as the two captains to have led India to victory in the tournament. India previously won the title under MS Dhoni's captaincy in 2013.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni | India | 4 ICC Finals

• ICC T20 World Cup 2007
• ICC ODI World Cup 2011
• ICC Champions Trophy 2013
• ICC T20 World Cup 2014

The leader who changed the face of Indian Cricket holds the second position in the Most ICC Finals as captain list.

From winning a T20 and an ODI World Cup to taking India to the top of Test Cricket, Mahendra Singh Dhoni has done it all for the Indian Cricket Team. Apart from test mace, India has won three ICC trophies under his leadership.

Dhoni's journey of being a successful captain began when he led India to the inaugural ICC T20 World Cup win in 2007. However, his most significant achievement as the captain of the Indian Cricket team came in 2011.

Under his leadership, India finally ended their 28-year World Cup drought and defeated Sri Lanka to lift their second ODI World Cup. Almost every one of you might remember Dhoni's unbeaten 91 in the final, which was one of the factors that helped India win the trophy.

Finally, Dhoni also helped add ICC Champions Trophy 2013 to India's trophy cabinet. They defeated England and snatched victory from the jaws of defeat in the final.

Ricky Ponting | Australia | 4 ICC Finals

• ICC ODI World Cup 2003
• ICC Champions Trophy 2006
  
• ICC ODI World Cup 2007
  
• ICC Champions Trophy 2009

Former Australia skipper, Ricky Ponting is one of the most successful captains in the history of International Cricket. He made sure that Australia remains the dominating force in International Cricket after the retirement of Steve Waugh. 

Ponting led Australia in 77 Tests, 230 ODIs, and 17 T20Is.
Ricky Ponting led Australia to four ICC finals in his career.

Meanwhile, he wins four of them and became the most successful captain in cricket history. A fascinating thing about these four trophy wins is that they all came during just seven years, from 2003 to 2009.

Under Ponting, Australia first retained the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2003. He came out as the third-highest scorer of the tournament with three centuries and won the man of the match award in the final.

Rohit Sharma etched his name in the record books by becoming the first captain in the history of cricket to reach the finals of all four ICC tournaments.

Rohit, 37, is aiming to win his second ever ICC title as captain having last year overseen a memorable triumph at the T20 World Cup.

Also Read: India's performance in every ICC tournament

As India gear up for the highly anticipated Champions Trophy 2025 final, which kicks off on March 9, let's recall the performance of Rohit Sharma in ICC tournaments for India so far. 

Third Champions Trophy for Rohit

Rohit has represented India in nine T20 World Cups, three ODI World Cups, two World Test Championship (WTC) finals, and two Champions Trophy tournaments, with the 2025 edition is his third.

Rohit's first ICC event was the 2007 T20 World Cup in South Africa and has since featured in all editions since then – 2009, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2021, 2022, 2024. 

Rohit has been part of India's 50-overs World Cup campaigns in 2015, 2019 and 2023. 

He also featured in 2013 and 2017 Champions Trophy. 

Made his debut in 2013

Rohit Sharma made his debut in the tournament back in 2013, it was also his first time opening for India in ODIs. 

The decision proved to be a masterstroke as India remained unbeaten throughout the tournament, eventually lifting the trophy under MS Dhoni’s captaincy.

His standout performance came in the 2017 edition, where, as vice-captain, he showed his brilliance with 304 runs at an impressive average of 76.

His century against Bangladesh in the semi-final was a masterclass in controlled aggression, though India ultimately fell short in the final against Pakistan.

The 2017 tournament saw Rohit rise to even greater heights, under the captaincy of Virat Kohli, guiding India to the finals.

Despite his strong run, India lost to arch-rivals Pakistan by a massive 180-run margin.

Performance of Rohit Sharma in ICC tournaments 

Rohit Sharma has played a total of 89 innings across various ICC events, amassing 3380 runs.

His performances showcase his consistency and ability to deliver for India in crucial international tournaments.

Here is a look at the performance of Rohit Sharma in ICC tournaments.

Performance of Rohit Sharma in ICC Champions Trophy 

When it comes to the Champions Trophy, Rohit boasts an impressive record. 

In 14 matches, he has scored 585 runs at an average of 45.0, with one century and four fifties to his name. 

This remarkable consistency places him as the fourth-highest run-scorer for India in the tournament’s history.

His best performance was 123* which came against Bangladesh in 2017 Semi-Final.

Also Read: Virat Kohli stats in ICC Tournaments

Indian cricket team star Virat Kohli has marked his name in cricket history during the ICC Champions Trophy semi-final in Dubai. 

India reached the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final after a close win against Australia in the semi-final. Kohli was important in this win, scoring 84 runs off 98 balls at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

Also Read: Rohit Sharma in ICC tournaments for India

While chasing a target of 265 runs, Kohli played calmly and helped keep the score moving, forming important partnerships before getting out to Adam Zampa while trying to hit a big shot. His innings included five boundaries.

Virat Kohli's stats in ICC tournament finals

Virat Kohli has played in eight ICC finals and has made a big impact. In ten innings, he has scored 410 runs, often shining when it matters.

Kohli’s skill to perform well under pressure is a key part of his career. Although he has some low scores in ICC finals, he has also made important runs that helped India in big matches.

His best score in an ICC final was 77 runs against Sri Lanka in the 2014 T20 World Cup, but India did not win. 

Now that India is in the Champions Trophy 2025 final, fans hope Kohli keeps up his good form and gives another great performance in the final.

So, let's take a look at the Virat Kohli stats in ICC tournaments.

Virat Kohli stats in ICC tournament 

Virat Kohli has played a total of 94 innings across various ICC events, amassing 3,975 runs.

His performances showed his consistency and ability to deliver for India in crucial international tournaments.

Here is a look at Virat Kohli's performances across various ICC tournaments.

Captained the team in ICC event in 2017

Kohli captained the team for the first time in an ICC event in 2017, guiding India to the finals. Despite their strong run, India lost to arch-rivals Pakistan by a massive 180-run margin.

Also Read: India vs Pakistan in ICC tournament results

CT debut came in 2009

Virat Kohli's Champions Trophy debut came in 2009 when India was knocked out in the group stage after losses to Pakistan and Australia. 

However, it was during that very tournament that Kohli had his first breakthrough moment, scoring a crucial 79* against the West Indies in a tense chase of 130.

The 2013 tournament saw Kohli rise to even greater heights, with MS Dhoni leading India to the trophy after a thrilling final win against England.

Virat Kohli stats in ICC Champions Trophy 

Virat Kohli has played 17 matches in the ICC Champions Trophy, scoring 746 runs in 16 innings.

His highest score is an unbeaten 100, with an impressive strike rate of 90.09.

Kohli has hit six half-centuries and one century in the tournament.

Here is a look at Virat Kohli stats in Champions Trophy.