Last Updated on 2 months by Charbel Coorey

The 12th and final league match of the 2025 Champions Trophy (CT) sees two of the tournament favourites – India and New Zealand – battle it out for top spot in Group A and a semi-final against Australia. There is every chance that this could be a sneaky preview of next week’s final given how well they have played.

Both teams have looked impressive so far, producing efficient performances. However, the big tests are still to come given Pakistan and Bangladesh left a lot to be desired, and more momentum is up for grabs here.

India have chased well, but this is a good opportunity to set a score if they get the chance. The Black Caps may be back in Dubai next week, so this could prove to be priceless gametime depending on how they perform in the midweek semi-final.

In this article, we will look at the possible playing XIs, Dubai pitch report, fantasy cricket tips and Dream11 Prediction for the 12th match of CT 2025.

CT 2025 12th Match: IND vs NZ Possible Playing XIs

India could make a change or two, including Arshdeep Singh.

India: 1. Rohit Sharma (c), 2. Shubman Gill, 3. Virat Kohli, 4. Shreyas Iyer, 5. Axar Patel, 6. KL Rahul/Rishabh Pant (wk), 7. Hardik Pandya, 8. Ravindra Jadeja/Washington Sundar, 9. Mohammed Shami, 10. Harshit Rana/Arshdeep Singh, 11. Kuldeep Yadav

New Zealand also look settled but may wish to give game time to squad members.

New Zealand: 1. Will Young, 2. Devon Conway, 3. Kane Williamson, 4. Rachin Ravindra, 5. Tom Latham (wk), 6. Glenn Phillips, 7. Michael Bracewell, 8. Mitchell Santner (c), 9. Matt Henry, 10. Will O’Rourke, 11. Kyle Jamieson

Dubai International Stadium Pitch Report and Weather

This will be the first game in Dubai since India’s win over Pakistan a week ago. It was another slow pitch in that game, similar to the kind of surface seen in the India-Bangladesh game.

A score of 270 batting first could be a tricky one to chase as scoring in the middle overs can be a challenge. However, both sides have players to negotiate this period well. A clear and breezy day is forecast with a top of 25 degrees, according to AccuWeather. So, dew may not be a factor.

Fantasy Cricket Tips for IND vs NZ: Top Picks/Key Players to Watch

Note: Try to pick more batters and all-rounders if you are playing on Dream11. The new point system rewards the batters heavily.

Top wicket-keeper picks:

• Tom Latham is in fine touch and is an excellent player of spin. His sweeping could prove very effective in slow, low conditions. Also, in 22 innings against India, Latham has scored 876 runs at an average of 48.66 and strike rate of 94.39.

Key batter picks:

• Shubman Gill is in outstanding form and averages 62.13 after 52 ODIs. Against New Zealand in ODIs, Gill has scored 590 runs at an average of 84.28 and strike rate of 109.66.
• Virat Kohli was at his best against Pakistan. In 31 matches against the Black Caps, Kohli has struck 1,645 runs at an average of 58.75 with nine fifties and six hundreds.
• Rachin Ravindra made the perfect return against Bangladesh, scoring 112 off 105 balls. He enjoys playing on the up which can be difficult to do in Dubai, but he is a superb timer of the ball.

Top all-rounder picks:

• Axar Patel looks to be the best all-rounder pick given he bats higher up the order and is a key bowler in these conditions. He’s picked up three wickets so far in this tournament.

Key bowler picks:

• Mohammed Shami can test Devon Conway with the inswinging delivery, especially around the wicket. Shami has dismissed Conway once in eight balls in ODIs (1 run) and three times in 16 balls in the IPL (15 runs). He’s also dismissed Kane Williamson three times at an average of 25.
• Matt Henry will be one to watch on the sluggish Dubai track with his accuracy. He has dismissed Rohit Sharma twice in 51 balls in ODIs at an average of 23.

Other Players to Consider for Your Fantasy Cricket Teams

• Rohit Sharma can provide a fast start but can he go on to deliver big fantasy points? He is definitely worth a pick in Dream11 teams and it can pay off if he gets through the powerplay.
• KL Rahul didn’t bat against Pakistan, but he could get a chance either batting first or second given New Zealand’s quality. Rahul has good numbers against the Black Caps in ODIs: 6 inns, 271 runs, avg. 67.75, SR 109.71.
• Since the start of 2023, Shreyas Iyer has struck 1,136 ODI runs at an average of 47.3 and strike rate of 111.2. Against NZ, Iyer has hammered 484 runs at 69.14 (SR 104.98).
• Kuldeep Yadav can be tricky to handle on a Dubai pitch offering assistance for the spinners. He took three wickets in his last match against Pakistan, and has dismissed Kane Williamson twice in 49 balls in ODIs (41 runs).
• It’s a big game for Kane Williamson who has had a quiet tournament so far. Against India, Williamson has scored 1,147 runs at an average of 44.11 and strike rate of 76.21.
• Michael Bracewell was superb with the ball against Pakistan and Bangladesh, but will India be as generous? Nonetheless, Bracewell can offer Dream11 points with both bat and ball in these conditions.

Other Stats and Matchups

• Rohit Sharma in ODIs vs New Zealand: 27 inns, 982 runs, avg. 37.76, SR 85.39.
• Mohammed Shami in ODIs vs New Zealand: 14 inns, 37 wickets, avg. 19.32, SR 19.13. Shami took 7/57 in the WC semi-final against the Black Caps.
• Virat Kohli vs Mitchell Santner: 259 balls, 180 runs, three dismissals.
• Shubman Gill vs Matt Henry: 78 balls, 61 runs, one dismissal.
• Tom Latham vs Kuldeep Yadav: 92 balls, 101 runs, three wickets, SR 109.8.
• Mitchell Santner averages 62.64 with the ball in 23 ODIs against India. Ravindra Jadeja’s record against New Zealand is worse, with an average of 81.75 in 14 ODIs.

CT 2025 12th Match: IND vs NZ Dream11 Prediction

Note: The below teams are not based on the final playing XIs. We may not be able to update these in time. Use the stats and commentary in this article, as well as your own instincts, to create your teams.

Option 1:

Option 2:

CT 2025 12th Match: IND vs NZ Match Prediction – Who will win?

India are outstanding in group games of ICC tournaments and I back them to win here as well. So, I think India will play Australia in one semi-final with New Zealand vs. South Africa in the other.

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