Rachin Ravindra shares unexpected pick for Champions Trophy final

Predicting finalists is tough, you always want to say New Zealand because you're involved, says the Kiwi cricketer.

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New Zealand cricketer Rachin Ravindra has backed a Trans-Tasman showdown between New Zealand and Australia in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final, set for March 9 in Pakistan.

In an exclusive interview with the ICC, Ravindra, a middle-order batter, was asked to name the two teams he expects to make it to the final.

While he refrained from choosing between world No. 1 ODI team India and hosts Pakistan, he boldly backed New Zealand and Australia to face off in the final, citing the strength and competitiveness of both teams.

“It’s always very hard to predict (finalists) because you always want to say New Zealand because you’re involved. So hopefully we’re there. I mean, we’ll take it game by game, and the other groups, it’s pretty hard to count out people like Australia," said Ravindra.

“I think they’re a really good team, and they’ve shown how strong they are in all formats. Current holders of the ODI World Cup too. So hopefully, it’ll be a Trans-Tasman derby. But, we’ll take it game by game and see what happens," he added.

 

 

 

 

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Ravindra, who played a stellar role in the 2023 ICC Men’s ODI World Cup, scoring over 500 runs and helping New Zealand reach the semifinals, is eagerly looking forward to representing his country in the Champions Trophy 2025.

With 945 runs and 18 wickets from 28 ODIs, Ravindra's experience will be invaluable as New Zealand aims to make a mark in the tournament.

“I think it’s amazing. Obviously, having a brief hiatus from the Champions Trophy and it coming back this year is very exciting. I think the format is amazing, being able to essentially play knockout games every single time. There’s context on every single game, which I think is super exciting and something I’m looking forward to," said the 25-year-old left-handed batter.

Ravindra highlighted the importance of every match in the Champions Trophy, saying, “You always play cricket to try and push yourselves and try and win the game, so for every game to have that onus on it is great."

The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 will take place from February 19 to March 9 across three venues in Pakistan—Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi—along with Dubai. The tournament features 15 matches with eight teams divided into two groups:

Group A: Pakistan, India, New Zealand, Bangladesh
Group B: Afghanistan, South Africa, England, Australia

The tournament will kick off with hosts Pakistan taking on New Zealand in the opening match on February 19 in Karachi.

New Zealand Champions Trophy 2025 Schedule:

• Pakistan vs New Zealand – Karachi, Pakistan – February 19
• Bangladesh vs New Zealand – Rawalpindi, Pakistan – February 24
• New Zealand vs India – Dubai – March 2