New Delhi: India and New Zealand are set to face each other in the final group-stage match of the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy 2025 at the Dubai International Stadium Sunday. It will be the first time in 25 years that the two teams meet in an ICC Champions Trophy match.
Their last encounter in the tournament was in 2000, when a century by Chris Cairns led the Kiwis to a victory in the finals in Nairobi.
Though both teams have qualified for the semi-finals in the current tournament, Sunday’s match will decide who plays against Australia or South Africa.
India, with two Champions Trophy titles, boasts of a strong record, having won 20 of their 31 matches in the tournament. The team has been in excellent form recently, losing just two of the last 13 games. Meanwhile, New Zealand has won 14 of its 26 Champions Trophy matches.
In the broader ODI rivalry, India holds the upper hand in overall wins, but New Zealand has consistently shown its ability to excel in high-pressure ICC tournaments.
The two teams have faced each other in over 118 ODIs, with India holding a slight edge in terms of overall victories.
The Indian side has registered wins in 60 matches while the Kiwis have emerged victorious in 50 encounters. One match was tied and seven ended with no results.
The two teams first met in an ODI on June 14, 1975, during the inaugural World Cup Cricket championship in England. New Zealand won that match by four wickets, setting the tone for the early phase of the rivalry between the two teams.
During the 1980s and 90s, New Zealand was a formidable team to reckon with in ODIs, thanks to the likes of Richard Hadlee, Martin Crowe, Danny Morrison and Glenn Turner.
India, still finding its feet in the limited-overs format, often found itself struggling against New Zealand.
One of the most memorable encounters came in 1994 when Sachin Tendulkar opened the innings for the first time and smashed 82 off 49 balls, setting a new standard for India’s approach in ODIs. The four-match ODI series was tied with each side winning two each.
But New Zealand continued to challenge India, especially in conditions that were best suited for their seamers to trouble Indian batters.
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India gains ground
However, the 2000s saw a shift in the balance, with India gradually asserting its dominance. Under Sourav Ganguly’s captaincy, India started playing aggressive cricket, and victories against New Zealand became more frequent. A landmark moment came in 2003 when India defeated New Zealand in the ICC World Cup thanks to half centuries by Mohammad Kaif and Rahul Dravid and and Zaheer Khan’s sterling (4/42) with the ball.
By the late 2000s, with the rise of MS Dhoni, India started winning regularly against New Zealand, especially at home.
During the 2010s, India, led by Dhoni and later Virat Kohli, established itself as a cricketing powerhouse. In bilateral ODI series, India enjoyed great success, particularly at home, where spin-friendly pitches and strong batting performances always gave them an edge.
The 2016 bilateral series, which India won 3-2 at home, is a happy memory. Choosing to bat first and picking three frontline spinners on a slow turner, India defeated New Zealand by 190 runs in the deciding fifth ODI in Visakhapatnam, with Amit Mishra picking five wickets to end the visitors’ innings at 79. In 2019, when India toured New Zealand, they showcased their dominance by winning the 5-match ODI series by 4-1. Ambati Rayudu’s century in the fourth ODI remains etched in the memories of Indian cricket fans.
Despite India’s dominance in bilateral ODIs, New Zealand always found a way to deliver in ICC tournaments. The 2019 World Cup cricket semi-final still remains one of the most heart breaking losses for India. The Kiwis posted 239/8 in a rain-affected two-day match, and India, despite a fighting effort from Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja, fell short by 18 runs.
This loss ended India’s World Cup dreams and cemented New Zealand’s reputation as a big-game team.
In recent years, India has continued to dominate ODIs against New Zealand, winning home series convincingly with the likes of Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma, and Mohammed Siraj playing crucial roles in the success.
In the 2023 ICC World Cup semi-final—India avenged their 2019 loss with a convincing 70-run win. Virat Kohli’s record-breaking 50th ODI century and Mohammed Shami’s 7-wicket haul remain the highlights of that match. In the 2023 bilateral series, India won 3-0 with Shubman Gill scoring a double century in Hyderabad.
(Edited by Sudha V.)
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