‘Yeh bhul jana chahiye ki India…’: Shoaib Akhtar, Shoaib Malik want New Zealand's A-game in Champions Trophy final
Shoaib Akhtar said New Zealand should forget that they are entering the Champions Trophy final against India as the underdogs.
The odds are heavily stacked against New Zealand. The conditions, the squad strength, the local support—everything is tilted towards India. But does that mean they are pushovers? Is the final a mere formality? Is Rohit Sharma lifting the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 on Sunday inevitable? Not even a fool would think like that. Yes, India is the strongest team on paper, form, and every other cricketing parameter in the tournament. But even they would agree that if there is any side that can not only challenge their supremacy but also snatch the Champions Trophy away from grasp, that is Mitchell Santner-led New Zealand.
One of the most consistent sides across formats in the last decade, New Zealand have not won an ICC white-ball title since their Champions Trophy win in 2000. Guess who they beat in the final? India! Ahead of the rematch of another Champions Trophy final 25 years later, former Pakistan cricketers Shoaib Akhtar and Shoaib Malik discuss how the Kiwis can turn the tables on an invincible-looking Indian side.
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Akhtar said New Zealand should forget that they are entering the final as the underdogs. "Ye bhul jana chaie ki India samne hai, ye bhul jana chahie ki aap lesser team hai. (It should be forgotten that you are up against India, you should forget that you are the underdogs). You should forget that you are not good. Santner has that belief. I have seen it in him. As a captain, he wants to win the title.," Akhtar said on 'Game on Hai'.
The Rawalpindi Express said one of New Zealand's biggest challenges in Sunday's final would be keeping India captain Rohit Sharma quiet in the powerplay. Akhtar said Rohit would definitely try to attack the New Zealand bowlers in the first 10 overs, and Santner's role as the leader would be of the utmost importance.
"You have to do the right thing at the right time. You have to break the onslaught. Rohit Sharma will on the attack. He will try to neutralise your spinners. He will attack Santner. At that point, he has to handle his team as a leader. If you ask me about odds I would say 70-30 to India. When it comes to batting, their spinners, and their maturity, but if New Zealand can bring their A-game on that day (they can win)," he added.
Malik says follow Steve Smith
Former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik said New Zealand batters should take a leaf out of Australia batter Steve Smith's book. Smith scored a solid 73 in the semi-final against India, negating the spinners beautifully.
"What separates Indian batters is their ability to rotate the strike. That plays a huge role in taking them to a good total and even while chasing a good score. The innings that Smith played is a good example to negate the Indian spinners. He made use of then extra fielder in the circle, came down the track, tried to find the gaps. Thirdly, whoever gets into 20s-30s should try and get to 80s, 90s or 100," he said.
