Shubman Gill was barely 68 days old when New Zealand had defeated India in the 2000 Knockout Trophy final in Nairobi, Kenya. Obviously, he does not carry any baggage of that setback. But he realises that the Kiwis have been great fighters over the years and are hard nuts to crack. It will be no different when the two sides clash in the Champions Trophy final on Sunday.

All talk of India having an advantage playing in Dubai will not matter the moment the two teams enter the fray, with the stands overflowing with cheering Indian fans waving the Tricolour, wearing the team’s blue jerseys. While the Men in Blue will look to maintain their status as the world’s top-ranked side in both ODIs and T20Is, New Zealand would strive to repeat the feat they had achieved 25 years ago in Kenya.