Shami knocks over Virat [Source: @rohann__45/X.com]
India's final group stage match at the Champions Trophy 2025 will be against their toughest foe, New Zealand on Sunday at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. The two teams have had fierce rivalry in the last few ICC tournaments, with New Zealand generally having the upper hand.
Prior to the contest which could decide the top-2 spot in the group, the Indian side sweated it out in the net sessions as they prepare for the Kiwi challenge. The entire squad had an intense practice session on Friday, and while there were several notable moments during the session, one particular incident caught everyone's eyes.
Shami cleans up Kohli
India's pace spearhead, Mohammed Shami looked at his imperial best as he delivered a magic ball and breached Virat Kohli's defence to shatter his stumps. He bowled a length ball, but it jagged back in as Kohli had no answer to the brilliance of Shami and he looked shell-shocked as well.
In other notable highlights, skipper Rohit Sharma looked comfortable and erased all doubts regarding the status of his hamstring injury.
Will India make any changes Vs New Zealand?
Both India and New Zealand have reached the semi-finals and the clash is a dead rubber on Sunday. However, the team could be tempted to make a couple of changes to test their bench strength.
Rohit Sharma was carrying a hamstring injury and with a place in the knockout already secured, India could potentially rest their skipper ahead of the semis.
Also, they could be tempted to bring in Varun Chakravarthy in the playing XI, since the Dubai pitch has been favourable for the spinners.