India vs New Zealand highlights, ICC Champions Trophy 2025: India beat New Zealand by 44 runs, to face Australia in semifinal

Virat Kohli scored only 11 runs in India's final group stage match of the Champions Trophy against New Zealand on Sunday, following his century against Pakistan a week ago.

Glenn Phillips took a spectacular one-handed flying catch at point to dismiss Kohli, who was aiming to maintain his impressive form after achieving his 51st ODI hundred in the previous match.

The Dubai International Cricket Stadium fell silent as Phillips completed the catch. Kohli had no choice but to return to the pavilion after his dismissal.

The match marks a milestone for Kohli as he completed 300 ODIs for India. His unbeaten century against Pakistan in Dubai elevated him to fifth position in the ICC ODI rankings, making him the third player to go past 14,000 runs in 50-over cricket.

Having surpassed Ricky Ponting in the all-time run charts, Kohli now needs 138 runs to overtake Kumar Sangakkara for second place. He trails Sachin Tendulkar, the current record holder, by 4,330 runs.

In his 300 ODI appearances, Kohli has accumulated 14,096 runs with an average of 58.01 and a strike rate of 93.40. His record includes 51 centuries and 73 fifties, with his highest score being 183.

Kohli continues to set records in ODI cricket. He is the quickest to reach several run milestones: 8,000 runs in 175 innings, 9,000 runs in 194 innings, 10,000 runs in 205 innings, 11,000 runs in 222 innings, 12,000 runs in 242 innings, 13,000 runs in 287 innings, and 14,000 runs in 299 innings.

At the toss in Dubai on Sunday, India captain Rohit Sharma said he would have batted first even if he had won the toss. The skipper made sense because India chased in their two matches so far in this Champions Trophy; but the takeoff wasn't as smooth as India would have liked from its top order.

In 6.4 overs, the Kiwi fast bowlers blew away India's in-form top three -- Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. At 30 for 3, India found themselves in a situation they hadn't experienced so far in the tournament.

India's vice-captain Gill (2) had a rare white-ball failure when he was trapped lbw by Matt Henry in the third over, and the video referral he took was of no avail.

In the fifth over, the free-flowing Rohit, who had hit a four and a six in 16 balls to reach 15, was dismissed next ball by Kyle Jamieson, caught by Will Young after mistiming a pull shot.

It followed a special effort by Glenn Phillips at point when he plucked a one-handed stunner to send back India's last-match centurion, Kohli, for 11 when his cut shot against Henry found the fielder. That brought a disappointing end to Kohli's batting stint in his landmark 300th ODI.

It brought all-rounder, who India have promoted to No. 5 lately, in early to join Shreyas Iyer.

In hindsight, the situation offered a good practice to India's middle order ahead of the semifinal - where India would either face Australia or South Africa on Tuesday.

A win against the Kiwis will see India finishing top of Group A and face Australia, while a defeat will keep them at number two for a semifinal meeting with Group B toppers South Africa.

Earlier, contrary to reports that India may test their bench strength, the 2013 champions went in with a full-strength playing XI with just one change, as fast bowler Harshit Rana was replaced by mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy.

India's streak of bad luck at the toss continued on Sunday as they lost their 13th consecutive coin flip in ODIs.

Facing New Zealand in their final Group A match of the Champions Trophy, India once again found themselves at the mercy of the opposition’s decision.

New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner won the toss and opted to bowl first, further extending India's frustrating record.

The last time India won an ODI toss dates back to the 2023 Wankhede semifinal. Since then, Rohit has lost 10 tosses, while KL Rahul has had no luck with the coin three times, making this prolonged streak a talking point among fans and analysts alike.

The statistical probability of losing 13 consecutive tosses stands at a minuscule 0.0122%, as highlighted by countless posts across social media platforms.

The fans couldn't hide their reactions, lamenting India's poor luck and jokingly speculating if the team needs a change in coin-flipping strategy.

Memes and humor flooded platforms like X (formerly Twitter), with some suggesting captain Rohit Sharma should find his luck for the knock-out stages of the tournament, while others devoured the bitterness of the situation with a pinch of laughter.

Despite the toss setback, India made a strategic change to their lineup, resting Harshit Rana and bringing in spinner Varun Chakravarthy. Meanwhile, New Zealand also made a single change, with Daryl Mitchell replacing Devon Conway.

While losing the toss does not directly impact performance on the field, it does influence game plans, especially in conditions where batting or bowling first provides a significant advantage.

Teams:

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

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