Henry Out, 2 Big Changes To Surprise India? NZ Probable XI For Champions Trophy Final

NZ will take on India in CT final [Source: AP]

On Sunday, India will cross swords against New Zealand in the final of the ICC Champions Trophy. The high-voltage clash will take place at Dubai International Cricket Stadium. 

Ahead of the much-awaited game, New Zealand have suffered a huge setback, with ace speedster Matt Henry being doubtful for the game. Henry sustained a shoulder injury in the semifinal against South Africa and might be sidelined for the final. 

As the BlackCaps gear up for the Champions Trophy final, let's see what could be their probable playing XI for this match. 

Who Could Be Henry's Replacement In CT Final?

New Zealand have Nathan Smith and Jacob Duffy, two backups for Matt Henry if he gets ruled out of the Champions Trophy final. 

(ODI stats of Nathan Smith and Jacob Duffy)

As shown in the above table, Jacob Duffy has significantly better numbers than Nathan Smith in ODI cricket. 

Although Smith's inclusion can ensure batting depth for New Zealand, it's worth mentioning that the Kiwis already have an incredibly deep batting unit, with Kyle Jamieson coming at number nine. 

Additionally, Nathan Smith doesn't operate with the new ball. So, Duffy could be the perfect like-for-like replacement for Matt Henry if the latter gets ruled out of the final. 

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Will Young To Make Room For Devon Conway?

(Will Young's stats in last 3 matches)

Will Young had a fabulous start to the tournament, slamming a match-winning century against Pakistan. However, he couldn't sustain his dream run, managing only 43 runs at a horrible average of 14.33 and a strike rate of 67.18 in his subsequent three appearances. 

Also, Young has struck only 39 runs in two ODI outings against India, which might tempt New Zealand to bring Conway (if he is fully fit) back into the mix for the all-important final. In eight ODIs against India, the southpaw has scored 230 runs at a solid average of 38.33 and a strike rate of 92.37. 

If Henry gets injured, New Zealand will likely make at most these two changes and keep the remaining combination unchanged for the final game. 

New Zealand's Probable XI vs India

Rachin Ravindra, Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (WK), Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (C), Kyle Jamieson, Jacob Duffy, William O'Rourke

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