EXPLAINED: Why Matt Henry Is Not Playing India Vs New Zealand Champions Trophy 2025 Final
New Zealand skipper Mitchell Santner won the toss and opted to bat against India in the Champions Trophy 2025 final at Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai on Sunday. It was for the 12th time in a row that India captain Rohit Sharma lost the toss in an ODI match.
New Zealand made one change, bringing in Nathan Smith for Matt Henry, while India named an unchanged playing eleven for the all-important clash.
Matt Henry was ruled out of the Champions Trophy 2025 final against India after failing to pass a fitness test on match day.
“Batting first in the ICC Champions Trophy Final after a toss win for Mitch Santner. One change to the XI – Matt Henry is ruled out after failing a fitness test at the ground before play and is replaced by Nathan Smith,” BlackCaps said in a statement on X (Twitter).
The 33-year-old Henry, who is currently the tournament’s leading wicket-taker, sustained injury during the semi-final against South Africa in Lahore. He injured his shoulder while taking a catch to dismiss Heinrich Klaasen at the boundary.
Despite the injury, the pacer returned to bowl two overs later in the match after treatment and was also seen diving in the field after his comeback, sparking optimism on the extent of the injury. However, Henry failed the fitness test day on the match day and was ruled out of the Champions Trophy 2025 final.
India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Varun Chakravarthy.
New Zealand: Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (wk), Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (c), Kyle Jamieson, Nathan Smith, Will O’Rourke.
Stay informed on all the , real-time updates, and follow all the important headlines in and on Zee News.